


Estranged

by MagentasNightmare



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: AU, Addiction, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe, Andrea and Merle, Brotherly Love, Carol is pregnant, Caryl Love, Child Abuse, DON'T LIKE - DON'T READ (I'm not changing what I write for anyone:), Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier Smut, Dixon brother's story, F/M, Merle has a LOT of issues, Past Abuse, Redemption, Regret, Smut, ge, longer fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-11-22
Packaged: 2018-08-19 00:52:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 61,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8182627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagentasNightmare/pseuds/MagentasNightmare
Summary: It's been 10 years since Daryl has seen his older brother and his world is about to change in big ways. Daryl hopes the bridge between the past and the present can be repaired so he can have his brother back.





	1. Chapter 1

**_Estranged_ **

**_Chapter 1 – Prologue  
_ **

**_es·tranged_ **

**/iˈstrānjd/**

**adjective**

**1.(of a person) no longer close or affectionate to someone; alienated:**

**_###########################_ **

_Sope Creek / Mariette, Georgia_

Daryl was wearing the boots that he was told to wear and the day was full of promise, the sun bright and the air crisp. Daryl was 7 and about to receive his first fishing lesson from his older brother.

Merle knew everything; he was 11, and he put the very stars in the sky in Daryl's eyes.

He walked down the back alley and through the woods to the creek after school as he was instructed and waited by the edge of the water, tossing in pebbles. Merle always sat under the same Yellow Buckeye tree, Daryl had gone along before but had never been shown how.

After much pleading, Merle decided he was a big enough boy to learn.

Time passed, and he started to wonder why he was still waiting or if he'd gotten the wrong day but then he heard familiar footsteps.

"Hey, little man. I got detention again, sorry 'bout that."

Daryl looked up at him and nodded that it was no big deal, he would have happily waited longer. Merle was carrying the two cheap fishing poles he owned and had all the bait and tackle in his backpack. Merle would cut grass in the neighborhood and do other odd jobs for extra money.

"So you ready to fish?" he asked.

"Yes."

"You ain't gonna be a pussy and throw 'em back?"

"Nope."

"Right on," Merle laughed. Even at 11, his voice was rougher and deeper than all the other kids his age; Daryl always liked the sound of it.

Daryl watched as he lit a hand-rolled cigarette and crouched down to bait the hook. Merle was already smoking but mainly just to look cool or tough, depending what the situation called for. Sometimes he wanted to look cool to the little girls in the neighborhood. Other times he wanted to appear tough so the older boys would lay off of him a little.

"See how I do that?" he said.

"Yes."

"You hook it through the end like that, and you won't lose it in the water, then you just wait. Lemme see you do it."

Daryl reached into the plastic container of worms and didn't want to kill one, but Merle was watching. He wanted to be just like Merle, so he just did it without thinking and then lowered the line into the pond.

"Good job, little man," Merle praised, and Daryl looked up at him blowing smoke up into the high summer heat.

"I did it!" he said to nobody in particular. "Dad said I was too little."

"Daryl, you listen to me now, OK? He don't know nothing. You can do anything you set your mind to."

"You think so?"

"I know so; you can do whatever the hell you want."

"Thanks, Merle."

"You don't listen to him; you listen to me. He's just a prick."

Daryl grinned at Merle saying such a thing; he liked how brave he was when they weren't at home.

"A total prick!" Daryl repeated, feeling like a big man.

Merle laughed at his kid brother using the word prick and lay back on the bank to look up at the clouds.

/

When Daryl looked back on this day and so many others like it, he knew it was strange for his brother to be this person for him, but there was nobody else to do it. Merle was only four years older but he'd always been the one he turned to for help.

Daryl sat on the bank next to Merle that day feeling like a big kid, exalted by his hero.

It was a day he still remembered vividly years later, and he still wished it hadn't fallen apart, but things changed rapidly not long after that day. Their dad was never a picnic, always verbally abusive, but three months after this day their mother was killed by a drunk driver and bad became much worse.

Eventually, Merle was beaten down enough that he couldn't take it anymore.

One night, when Daryl was 15 and Merle was 19, he ran off after a particularly bitter fight with their father and never returned. He'd been running away from home for long stretches of time for years, and it was always during those times that it was Daryl's turn to play punching bag, but he didn't hold it against Merle. Merle's beatings were always more severe cause he'd never just take it, he always fought back.

When it became apparent he wasn't coming back, Daryl still had to live his life and finish high school. From 15 to 19 he had no car or means to look for Merle and when he did finally have a car and got away from his dad he was too busy working just to support himself. Now he had Carol and Sophia and all his time was taken up being a husband and father.

Still, Daryl never stopped revering the memory of his brother and wishing he could somehow get it all back. The ghost of his relationship with Merle became a deep seeded source of pain that he wanted to put right someday, somehow...

**#############################################################**

**This story will be posted once a week because I have a lot going on with my son who has some special needs. I always wanted to stick to posting a chapter a day and this one is basically completed but I do a lot of extra editing even when it's finished and posting every day is too much for me with my son's school issues at the moment.**

**I'll be going back to my other method of posting as soon as things die down and I do have some oneshots I'll be posting right away too.**

**Thanks, love you:) Teagan XOXO**


	2. Juxtaposition

**_Estranged_ **

**_Chapter 2 – Juxtaposition_ **

**~A tale of two mornings...**

It was so early that the sun had just crept over the horizon and was beginning to peek in through the curtains of their bedroom. Carol rolled out of bed as silently as she could. She didn't want to wake Daryl for this; it might just be nothing again. She wanted to keep the disappointment to herself.

He was breathing smooth and slow, blissfully resting, and she smiled down at him. They'd been married for a year now, and her life had taken a beautiful 180 turn from the very moment that they met.

Gone were the days when Ed Peletier was able to dominate her. When Carol and Sophia finally had the freedom to decide what life held for them next, that's when she met Daryl. Carol had been working at the DMV when he came in to renew his license and flirted with her relentlessly. She spent the next few days trying to convince him that she had a colored past, trust issues to beat the band and a daughter who took precedent over all else but he was determined.

He insisted he could take it slow and wore her down enough to take her for coffee, but it wasn't long before she could see that he was different. He said what he meant and meant what he said and after a few weeks of casual coffee dates and long phone conversations she introduced him to Sophia. She was now a firm believer that some people are meant to be together, and that family were the people you choose in certain cases.

She and Sophia and Daryl were a family from very early on, and when the divorce from Ed was finalized, they wasted no time making it official. Daryl asked Sophia for her blessing to ask first, even though she was only just barely five at the time, but she approved emphatically.

They'd only been trying for four months to conceive, and Carol was surprised to have to wait at all. Women in her family could normally get pregnant from hanging their dress next to a man's suit, as the saying went. Daryl wasn't concerned yet, but she was anxious to start a family with him. Sophia had always wanted a sibling and Carol was eager to make up for the past by giving her everything she'd been deprived of with Ed.

She turned and tiptoed to the bathroom to grab probably the 20th pregnancy test she'd used in the last four months. She closed the door and sat down on the toilet, trying not to pee before she could get the stick out of the plastic. She had to go badly, so she fumbled in the dim light with the lid and finally got it between her legs to perform the task.

She breathed out long and hard and began to urinate on the test then capped it, promising herself she wouldn't look till she washed her hands. Carol had developed a bunch of silly superstitions to help somehow. If she tested with Daryl awake, it would come out negative, or if she'd had her coffee first, or if it was a Tuesday. It was all ridiculous, but she wanted this so badly her mind was starting to play with her.

She washed her hands and then dried them, all the while avoiding the test with her eyes and then she picked it up.

Looking down at it, she realized it was upside down and chuckled to herself before turning it over.

One line in the control window and one line in the test window.

"Holy shit!" she exclaimed under her breath.

She picked up the box to look again, but she knew damn well this was it.

**_Oh my god…oh my god…oh my god!_ **

Carol performed a short and goofy looking happy dance before composing herself long enough to go and tell Daryl.

Walking back into their room, she stepped toward the bed and pulled back the blanket, taking in the sweet sight of his bare ass and strong back. She slithered in behind him and lay her face right next to his ear.

"Daryl..." she whispered.

"Mmmm..." he moaned back, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hands. "What time is it?"

"Time to get up, Daddy?"

"Pfft! Even Sophia doesn't call me daddy," he laughed.

"Maybe our baby will."

He rolled over slowly to face her; there was something in her voice that told him everything he needed to know.

"Our baby?"

She nodded her head with a huge grin.

"Seriously? You're pregnant?"

"Yes."

"Oh my god, hun! Holy crap! That's awesome!"

He pulled her down into his arms and wrapped her up in the blanket to cuddle until he absolutely had to get out of bed.

"I can't believe it," she began.

"Me neither...I wanna go tell Sophia!"

"OK, but stay here for a minute."

"Oh yeah, I'm in no hurry to get the Tasmanian devil up yet, but I can't wait to see her face."

"I know, she's going to lose it," Carol sighed.

"I love you, Carol," he whispered, letting his hands drift for the first time to her belly. Their child was there now; he was even happier than he'd expected to be.

"I love you too...we have it all now, don't we?"

"You can say that again," he sighed, squeezing her a little tighter.

######################

"You have to get out!"

The voice was shrill, and his first thought was to throw something just to make it stop.

"What?"

"We slept in, and my man is gonna be here any minute so get the hell out!"

Merle opened his eyes and immediately shut them when the sun felt like it was burning his retinas clear out of his skull. His head was pounding, and his mouth was dry as the desert.

"Move it!" the woman screamed again.

Her name was something that sounded like Sharon or Karen...something like that.

He rolled over until his feet hit the floor and asked her where his clothes were.

"Fucked if I know! Just move! He owns guns, you know? Lots of 'em!"

"Fuck!"

Merle hobbled around the room, grabbing anything that looked familiar and pulled it on. He felt like at any second some strange man was gonna run up on him and cut his balls off. Merle had a habit of attracting 'taken' women and being as drunk as he was the night before it really didn't matter to him. He found his shoes on her kitchen floor, and she was still barking at him to move his ass when he heard the sound of big tires on gravel and his heart sank.

"Get down the fucking stairs into the basement!" she hissed.

"What?"

"He'll see you if you leave now, go!"

He ran down the basement stairs and looked for a window, hoping like hell he wasn't trapped. Thankfully, there was a window, but now he had to wait till the husband was inside the house. He found a kitchen chair and carried it over to place it below the window, carefully like it was made of glass, trying not to attract attention into the basement.

This was a hell of a lot of work for sex he couldn't even remember.

His breath ran ragged in and out of his lungs as he edged toward the window and then he heard the front door close and footsteps above him.

There was calm chatter from upstairs, but he couldn't make out any words.

Merle tried the latch and thanked his lucky stars that it opened.

Then a louder male voice could be heard close to the basement door.

"Hey! Whose keys are these, Karen? You been screwing around again?"

**_FUCK!_ **

Merle scrambled up and out the window but kicked over the chair he'd been standing on, and he almost pissed his pants as he heard the basement door open.

The woman, apparently named Karen, screamed "Run!" and he ran like the wind the second he got his legs under him. Out of the yard and into the high sun, almost blinding him, he ran till he couldn't breathe anymore.

Finally, he reached a gas station and couldn't see anyone on his tail, so he ducked inside to use the bathroom.

He was still panting and red-faced as he bent over the filthy, disgusting sink and then looked up to see a haggard looking man staring back at him.

The blood was racing around his hungover body and his stomach churned, so he threw up into the most revolting toilet on the planet.

"Ugh! Fuck!" he hissed at the sharp, sour taste of bitter whiskey in his mouth. Merle shuddered and washed his face, spitting out handfuls of cold water into the sink till he couldn't taste it anymore.

Something had to give, this couldn't be life.

_**################################** _

_**Posting again on the 14th:)** _

_**Thanks for reading! XOXO Teagan** _


	3. With & Without

**_ Estranged _ **

**_            Chapter 3 – With & Without _ **

**__ **

Sophia sat at the table waiting for Daryl to place her cereal in front of her, swinging her legs as she often did. She was an active and sweet child, and Daryl knew he wanted to be her dad almost immediately after meeting her, she deserved a real father.

He was still a young man, at only 25 he wanted desperately to be 'tied down' as his work friends would put it. Unlike all his work friends, Daryl had been craving the stability of a real family for most of his life. Calm days at home with people he loved was just what he was looking for, and now he had it.

Carol was 24, she'd become a mother at only 18 after trusting Ed to be what he appeared to be. Only when she was pregnant did she meet his jealous, mean streak and it was ugly. With no real income of her own, a home she didn't want to go back to, and a small child, she stayed until she couldn't take it anymore.

Sophia was given a bowl of granola then Carol and Daryl smiled at each other then sat down to have a chat.

“Honey, we have some news,” Carol began.

“What?” Sophia asked, shoveling cereal into her mouth as milk escaped and dribbled onto her lap.

“Remember how you said you wanted a brother or sister?” Daryl hinted.

“Yes. I want a baby sister then I can take her to school to show everybody,” she nodded. It hadn't dawned on her yet so she just kept eating.

Carol knew Daryl wanted to tell her so she winked at him to proceed.

“Well, we can't promise it'll be a baby sister, but your mom is going to have a baby.”

“Really? When?” she asked, jumping out of her chair.

“Not for a good...8 months or so?” Carol informed her.

Sophia asked question after question about when it would kick and if it could hear voices and if she could name it. Her excitement was infectious and by the time Daryl left for work he was absolutely giddy. Daryl wished he had some family to call, but he had nobody to tell except his work friends. The thought of Merle arose and lingered, but he tried to push it away because it hurt.

Carol's family weren't anyone she wanted to call, unfortunately. They'd both come from broken and abusive homes but were planning to break the cycle with their own children. He had a few casual friends at work, and Carol had become best friends with the lawyer who helped her divorce Ed. Daryl knew she was probably on the phone with Andrea right now as he drove to work. They’d be having girl talk about the forthcoming Dixon.

Life was sweet and good now, but he wondered where Merle was; he wouldn’t even know he was an Uncle.

 

                 **_###########_**

 

Carol braided Sophia's hair for school after packing her lunch, and they talked about the expansion of their family.

“Daryl is still my dad though too,” Sophia noted.

“Of course he is, that's never going to change.”

Daryl made a point of giving Sophia a necklace at the wedding with a heart that said 'daughter' so she'd know that's just what he wanted.

Sophia never saw Ed after the divorce, and Ed didn't fight it at all which made Carol grateful. Sophia took to the idea of a new dad easily, especially when her new dad took her for ice cream for no reason, never got tired of pushing her on the swing and kissed all her boo-boos. Her new dad never raised his voice and had endless patience. Sophia was content to call him dad early on in the marriage.

 

As soon as Carol got back from walking Sophia to school, she called Andrea to tell her the good news.

 

“I'm so happy for you, Hun. I bet Daryl went crazy,” Andrea squealed.

“He was so happy. He wanted to tell Sophia himself.”

“You found a good one, Carol. That man worships the ground you walk upon.”

“After the troll I had last time, I'll take it.”

“Well, nobody deserves this more than you.”

Andrea was a few years older than Carol but didn’t look 31 at all. She was a stunning blonde with a bright smile and blue eyes.

“I'm just glad I have you to call and tell about this, Andrea. Having no family to call really sucks at a moment like this but I consider you a sister already.”

“Auntie Andrea reporting for duty,” she laughed, “just like I am for Sophia.”

“You're the best.”

“Hey, I try.”

Carol had called Andrea by accident when she'd been searching for a divorce lawyer back while leaving Ed. Andrea was in criminal defense, but somehow they began talking and after hearing about her case she volunteered her services pro bono and they'd been best friends ever since.

“So how are things with Jason anyway?” Carol asked, indulging in a second cup of coffee before work.

“OK, I guess. We don't really have anything in common, but he's cute. He's just good for an uncomplicated screw.”

“You're terrible,” Carol laughed.

“I don't have tons of extra time for complicated these days and most men aren’t worth the aggravation.”

“I love your honesty, babe.”

“I can’t seem to find anyone real, they’re all players.”

“Pfft!  You’re kind of a player yourself, just FYI,” Carol grinned.

“I’m just beating them to the punch.”

“Yeah, OK,” Carol smirked.

“If I met someone who actually cared about getting to know me then maybe I’d feel differently, but there are no sweet guys out there who like romance, they all just want sex.”

“Don’t give up, Daryl can’t be the only nice guy left.”

“I hope you’re right cause I don’t want to spend the rest of my life dating idiots.”

 “Keep the faith, babe.”

“If you say so,” she laughed.

“I better get to work, but I had to tell you about the excellent news!”

“I guess I get to plan the baby shower in a few months.”

“I can't believe I'm this happy, Andrea.”

“Enjoy it, girl. You've been through the ringer, you deserve this.”

“Thanks.”

 

                ** _##########_**

 

Merle wiped the counter of the bar and looked around at the regulars, wasting away in abject apathy. He was one of them on his days off too; lounging around and not moving forward or back. Chattanooga, Tennessee and _The_ _Back Country Bar_ was his home for the past nine years or so, and it was as much a part of him as his issues. Deeply ingrained and insidious, sometimes he wished he could walk away from this place and his past, but it hung around his neck like a millstone.

At the end of his shift he walked up to his room above the bar and stared out the window across Main Street.

A young couple was walking down the sidewalk hand in hand, and he wondered what that was like. He sighed and poured some whiskey into a plastic cup, lit a cigarette then eased his way into the evening. He only ever felt good anymore when half-anesthetized by booze, he was tired of his life and tired of himself. Merle didn’t want to be the man he was, but he had nothing to stay sober for anymore, and besides, it drove away the pain.

The evening faded into the night, and he wound up passed out on the couch, alone as usual. It was a routine that was going to kill him, but he knew no other way. No twenty-nine-year-old should be living the way he was, but Merle was trapped in a cycle of self-abuse and didn’t know how to stop.

 

                     _**#############**_

__

Carol worked at the DMV part time since marrying Daryl and the wonderful man who ran it let her off in time to pick up Sophia. Without Dale Horvath, leaving Ed would have been a lot harder. He offered her full-time employment on the spot, everyone in town knew what she’d been through. He allowed her to work around daycare and preschool and lawyer visits in the beginning and now she repaid his kindness by being the hardest worker he'd ever seen.

She finished up her shift, and he gave her a long hug to congratulate her on the baby news.

Maybe it was odd to tell people so soon, but she had faith in everything working out, and if something did go wrong, she'd want their support anyway.

Carol drove to pick up Sophia and took her to the playground to watch her run free in the sunshine. It was a perfect moment, and all the misery in her past couldn't touch her now.

                              **_########################################_**

****

**_Things are smoothed out with my son a little more now, but I still think posting every day is crazy hectic O_O I’m going to bump up posting of this story to twice a week (Mondays and Fridays) because I can handle that and it’s still not as nuts as daily. Thanks for the patience and I really hope you enjoy the rest of the story._ **

**_Teagan XOXO_ **

****

****

 

 

 

 

 


	4. Casting The Line

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 4 – Casting the Line** _

Carol was excited to be alone with Daryl that evening to revel in the joy of their blessing. Sophia was bathed, put into her pajamas and Daryl read her _The Kissing Hand_ like he did every night. He didn't need the book at this point, he knew all the words, but she liked the pictures. Daryl read her the book about the little raccoon who took his mother's kiss with him to school every night. After a year, he could finally get through it without getting emotional; it was very sentimental, especially since he'd lost his own mother as a young boy.

"I told all my friends I'm going to have a sister," she exclaimed, jumping onto her bed and squirming under the covers.

"Remember, honey; it could be a boy. We don't get to decide things like that. We just want the baby to be healthy, right?"

"Right, but I think it's a girl still."

"OK, just don't be too sad if it's a brother," he laughed.

"I can't even sleep, I'm too excited," she squealed, bouncing on her bed like any excited six-year-old.

Daryl was eager to spend some time with Carol, but it was his night to put Sophia to bed, and he loved the bedtime routine.

"You got school tomorrow you jumpy thing, come lay down, and I'll read your book for you."

"OK."

She finally settled, and he got through the book with her repeating all the words as he went. She knew the book by heart which made him wonder why she even wanted to hear it, but it was probably just the familiarity of it.

Within a few minutes she was satisfied, and he kissed her goodnight.

"Even when the baby comes you'll read to me, right?"

"I'm always going to read to you, Sophia. Nothing will change, I'll just be more tired sometimes. Goodnight and God bless, honey."

"Night, Dad."

Daryl went to switch off the light and took a deep breath then proceeded to pretend to blow the light out; Sophia loved that.

"Did your dad do that too?" she asked, rolling over in the dark to look at him.

"No...my big brother did it."

"Is he my uncle? Where does he live?"

"It's a long story, honey. We'll talk about it tomorrow, OK?"

Daryl couldn't even begin to think of how to tell her about Merle. It hurt, so he tried not to think about it too much.

"OK, dad."

################

Finally, they could be alone, and Carol was sat on the couch, already looking up a pregnancy app that would tell her when the baby would be coming.

Daryl grabbed a couple of glasses of lemonade and joined her.

"What's this?" he asked, looking over her shoulder.

"It's an app that can tell us when the baby is coming, my first appointment with the doctor isn't until next week."

"How does it know that?" he laughed.

"You just enter the date of your last period, and it lets you know the whole thing within about a week or so."

"So when is it gonna be here?"

"Well, my last period started on March 31st so the baby should be born around January 5th. And it's May 4th, so I'm about five weeks pregnant."

"A new year's baby then...this is awesome," he smiled and leaned in to hold her.

Carol was blown away with how her day had gone, and she needed to connect with him to celebrate. She turned to him and set her phone down on the table.

"I can't wait to meet this baby, but until then you're all mine," she winked.

"You getting frisky on me? I can't get you any more pregnant than you already are."

"Are you denying me?" she whined.

For some reason, he liked this routine, so he played along.

"You're just using me for my body...you're objectifying me," he joked.

"Damn right I am, honey! Get those pants off and give mama what she needs."

"Well, I never!" he feigned offense.

"OK, cut it out and get over here," she sighed.

"Yes, ma'am."

In no time he was on top of her on the couch, kissing her furiously. She loved how passionate he was and hoped he'd stay this way. Having a baby together was no small thing and would change them no matter what, but she believed it would be for the better.

He slid between her knees and thrust against her as she let out a small sound. A six-year-old in the house meant quieter sex, but it was always amazing.

He pulled her leg up around his waist and moved his attention to her neck. She could feel his fingertips creep around the back of her thigh to tease her through her pants and she was right there already.

"Take off your pants and jump on it," he groaned into her neck.

Married sex was so comfortable; he knew just what buttons to push, and so did she.

"Whip it out then," she purred.

A simple 'couch fuck' when they both had to work the next morning was just what the doctor ordered.

He shimmied out of his pants and sat back on the couch as she peeked down the hall to make sure Sophia was actually sleeping.

"Come here, honey," he insisted.

She straddled his thighs and kissed him hard, sinking down onto his dick in one fluid motion.

"Oh fuck yes, Mrs. Dixon...you ride it out, honey."

She loved when he spoke this way, and he knew it.

Daryl pushed her shirt up to get to her body as she started to move.

She rocked on his lap and clung to his head as he began to suckle her breasts like they sustained his very existence.

"I gotta have your tits while they're still all mine," he joked, knowing that soon he'd be sharing.

She started to moan, and he knew she was already close. This was her favorite position, and he knew it hit all the right pleasure points for her.

She could feel him deep inside her, and she really went to town, riding him into oblivion.

Something about knowing his child was inside her made Carol feel extra feminine, desirable and excited. The all-consuming bliss of orgasm hit her hard and fast as she let go, slowing just a little to let her body revel in the heat.

"That's right, honey...like that?"

"Mmmm...yeah."

"Turn over for me," he groaned, and she knelt on the edge of the couch.

It always drove him wild to screw her from behind with her legs pressed together at first, holding him tightly inside her.

"Oh Christ!" he hissed, sliding into her and taking hold of her hips.

This was marriage, stolen moments alone and quiet sex that moved quickly because they both knew damn well what the other wanted. There was no less love behind it; there was maybe more because it was familiar, comfortable and full of genuine love.

Soon he was leaning over her, his arms wrapped around her waist and cumming into her with all he had.

"Uh! Fuck me, honey...Mmmmm..."

It was all exclaimed under his breath so that Sophia wouldn't hear, but it was none the less intense.

By the time he got her to bed, he was totally spent. Daryl worked all day as a moving man, breaking his back moving appliances and furniture, but coming home to his girls every night a happy man.

He set his alarm and she crawled into bed next to him. The familiar joy of knowing he'd have this every night made his world tick from one moment to the next. It's all he ever wanted.

She wrapped herself around him and in no time she was resting and breathing slower.

Twenty minutes later, though, she realized he was still awake and needed to know why. That's what marriage was for them, caring when the other was off and not feeling right until it was sorted out.

"What's wrong, babe?"

"It's silly."

She knew it was really something then because she knew him.

"Tell me. It's not the baby, is it?"

"No, honey, never that. I just wish I knew where Merle was...I want this baby to have an uncle."

He wanted Sophia to have an uncle too, and he wanted his brother back.

"I thought you said he just walked out."

"He did, but he must have had his reasons. I just still remember before my mom died and my dad went stupid...we had some good times. Even after that, the only good memories I have are of him and me."

"How would you ever find him, though, hasn't it been like ten years?"

"Yeah, I was 15 the last time I saw him. I don't know where he is but Abraham is still in town so maybe he'd know, they were friends."

"You could ask him sometime."

"You think?"

"You wouldn't be bringing it up if it didn't mean something to you. It couldn't hurt to try."

Carol leaned into him and waited for an answer; she could tell he was deep in thought over it.

"I'll think about it."

Daryl wanted to pursue it but also held some fears about it. Maybe he wouldn't be able to find him, and even if he did, maybe it wouldn't be the same. Maybe Merle wouldn't even want to be a part of his life anymore; after all, he had stayed away for a decade.


	5. The Catalyst

_** Estranged ** _

_**Chapter 5 – The Catalyst** _

**~ 2 Months Later, in Tennessee**

Merle walked down the stairs for his shift in his faded jeans and a flannel shirt; he dreaded work, but it paid his bills and financed his drinking.

The music was loud that Friday night and the place was packed with fools just looking for trouble. He ran a tight ship around the bar and played bouncer as well as bartender most nights. The older lady who owned the place, Rose, was rarely around. All Rose usually cared about was cashing the checks and continuing to turn a profit. She left it to Merle to make most of the decisions and only gave him grief when there was trouble with the rough crowd in the neighborhood. She didn't want police involvement if it could ever be avoided.

He started off chatting with Axel who lived at the bar almost as much as he did but he was a decent guy. Axel was the best friend he had, and Merle was grateful to have at least one person in his corner.

"You look a little haggard old boy!" Axel exclaimed when Merle set his beer in front of him.

"Was a long night," he answered without any show of emotion. He hated when people noticed that he was suffering and it was becoming more apparent to those around him. He felt like a 50-year-old, disguised in a 29-year-old's body.

"This place is hopping tonight," Axel noted, changing the subject.

"Yep, typical Friday."

The music got cranked, and he was serving drinks hand over fist for the next two hours until he caught wind of something strange in the air.

A guy he saw in the bar fairly regular called Phillip had a woman with him, and they were having some kind of lover's quarrel. He didn't plan to get involved if he didn't have to. Breaking up a fight between two men was pretty simple, and he didn't mind doing that, sometimes he did it for fun, and every prick he punched was his father. He was fair about it and only hit people who threw punches at him but he still kind of enjoyed it. He had a lot of pain to get out.

Merle preferred to stay out of confrontations with women, though. Once he'd separated two women and got his face clawed for his troubles when both drunk women turned on him instead. He'd had to go around looking like a date rapist with scratches down his face for over a week while they healed.

The fight with Phillip and the woman got heated and the next thing he knew Phillip could be seen pulling her out the back door into the alley aggressively. The woman was only little and had a head full of dark curls. She was about to get smacked around; Merle would bet money on it.

"Fuck! Axel, watch the bar."

"You got it."

It was a rough bar and Axel knew the routine, by now he could work the register and manage the place for quite a while as Merle cleaned house.

Merle rolled up his sleeves and pushed the fire exit door to step into the alley.

Phillip had the woman pressed to the wall, holding her by the throat and accusing her of cheating. Merle walked straight toward him, grabbing him by the scruff of his jacket just to get his hands off of her. Phillip got one solid punch in, knocking one of Merle's teeth loose before he was dropped to the ground and boot-fucked into submission.

"Like picking on women? You a big man now, ya piece of shit?" Merle hollered.

If he let a guy pull this nonsense in the bar, he'd never maintain order and he didn't live in the kind of neighborhood where you could safely be seen as a pussy.

"Wait!" the woman screamed.

"Oh fuck me," Merle groaned. "You one of these chicks who's into being slapped around? I'll let him carry on then, shall I?"

"No!" she yelled back. "Just stop kicking him, you knocked him out!"

Merle looked down, and sure enough, the guy was unconscious.

"Fuck!" he groaned.

"He's breathing, he'll live," she answered.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, thank you...even if you did go a little overboard."

"Don't mention it. So what do we do with him?" he asked.

Just then Phillip was opening his eyes and getting to his feet, and a police car pulled into the alley. Apparently, someone called the cops and Merle rolled his eyes; this night was getting worse and worse. The one time the cops actually show up, and it's when he didn't even need them.

"Hey!" Phillip yelled to them. "This guy just tried to fucking kill me!"

His lip was busted, his eye was rapidly swelling, and Merle knew he was screwed.

"That's not true! He was defending me," the woman jumped in, and Merle just wished he hadn't bothered.

"Alright, buddy, assume the position," a middle-aged cop started off.

"What about him?" he asked, pointing to Phillip.

"We'll be making those decisions here. You ain't got a scratch on you, and he looks like you beat seven shades of hell out of him."

"So I'm being taken in just for winning the fight? You want me to just let him strangle her to death next time?"

"It's true. He was choking me!" the little dark haired woman insisted, pointing at Phillip.

"Hands on the car!" the younger cop yelled, getting tired of Merle's lip.

"Fuck this! I was defending this broad! What was I supposed to do?"

"Call the police, dumbass!" the older cop said, approaching him and looking annoyed.

"Pfft! I spend half my life in there calling you people and most of the time you only show up after I've taken care of the problem myself!"

Merle was sick and tired of dealing with everything and getting shit on for doing what he thought was the right thing; it was about to land him in deeper water.

The older of the cops grabbed his arm and swung him into the hood of the police cruiser as Phillip stood grinning like an idiot.

"He was helping me!" the woman protested.

Merle pushed back against the officer with his body weight; he couldn't help it since he was losing his balance. Merle still hated to be pinned down; it was a reminder of his childhood helplessness. The officer was trying to make a point by being rough with him. Apparently, they didn't like him stating that they didn't do their jobs.

"That's resisting arrest as well as assault," he growled into Merle's ear as he started to pat him down.

"I didn't even touch you!" he argued.

"Shut your mouth!" the younger cop hollered.

They'd had enough of him, and he knew he was about to have the book thrown in his direction, hard.

/

Merle spent the next few hours in a holding cell shaking his head at his own stupidity. He'd have to make bail, and the only one he could call was Axel. Thankfully Axel was good for it cause he was an owner-operator trucker and made decent money. Axel would never see him rotting in jail, and he was glad to have someone on his side.

He made his one phone call the next morning and apologized for leaving Axel to deal with the bar.

"No problem, man."

"Thanks, Axel. You're the only friend I got."

"You'd do it for me. So what's your bail set at?" Axel asked.

"I don't know; they haven't arraigned me yet."

Thanks to Axel, Rose was less likely to discover that he'd gotten arrested, so he owed him big time. He was also lucky the fight had happened in the alley and not the bar itself or the cops might have informed her. If she were to find out, he'd most definitely lose his job. Calling the cops was one thing, getting arrested was another. Rose had a checkered past, and she still took bets on sporting events and acted as a loan shark. She never wanted anything to do with police cause she had things to hide. Merle got into shit with her every time he called the cops, but he didn't want to be dealing with violent people for minimum wage. A little bar fight was one thing, but many in the neighborhood had knives and guns, and he wasn't trying to end up dead.

Sadly, he knew the only way he'd ever leave Tennessee is to get fired; he didn't have the ambition to move on without a swift kick. Part of him hoped he would get fired from his whole life so he'd be forced to do something, anything to turn the page on the story being written and change the plot for the better.

Merle didn't know how much longer he could bear the way things were for him; he was much too young to feel so old.


	6. Reaching Back

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 6 – Reaching Back** _

Daryl finished up his shift and parked up the moving van he drove all day at his place of employment before going to talk to Abraham. He'd been putting it off for two months now, and Carol was already 13-14 weeks pregnant. He knew he had to get moving on contacting Merle before he got too busy.

Daryl couldn't help feeling like he'd be broken if Merle wanted nothing to do with him. The memories of him and Merle from when they were little were the only good ones he had. He was afraid to have them tainted by the possible reality that it was all over between them.

Abraham was the only guy in town who might have a clue as to his brother's whereabouts; it was worth a try.

Daryl lit a smoke and waited outside the used car dealership that Abraham owned; he had to think of what to say.

Daryl had never left town and yet Merle never came back to see him. He wondered if he knew their dad was dead now, he'd been gone for six years already, and nobody missed him.

Daryl finished his cigarette and made himself walk into the front office of the dealership.

"Daryl! What brings you around here? Need a car?" Abraham boomed.

He was a big man, with a big voice and personality to match.

"Hey, man. How's it going? I'm not looking for a car yet, but maybe in a couple of months I'll be needing a minivan."

"What for?" he laughed.

"The wife's having a baby."

"Congrats! So what can I do for ya then?"

Daryl leaned on the counter and felt nervous even to be speaking of Merle again to anyone but Carol.

"I'm wondering if you might know where I could contact my brother."

"Jesus! Merle? Lemme think here."

Abraham frowned, leaned on the counter and reached for a smoke to assist in his thinking. He lit it and continued to frown as Daryl went crazy inside waiting for an answer.

"You know...he called out of the blue maybe...2 or 3 years ago?"

"Where was he when you spoke to him? I heard something about Tennessee once."

"That's right. Just gimme a minute. I have it in my old address book. I only talked to him for a bit, but I got his number and address, I think he was drunk cause he rambled a lot."

"Did you tell him our old man was dead?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, he sounded happy about that," he laughed.

Abraham disappeared into the back office, and Daryl fidgeted with his fingers and lit another smoke.

Finally, after 5 minutes, he returned with an address book that looked like it was from the 70s.

"Here we go," he said, handing it over.

Daryl looked down at the words _The Back Country Bar, Chattanooga, Tennessee_ and pulled out his phone to take a picture of the page. The full address was there, and he felt at least some hope.

"How was he when you spoke to him, besides drunk? Was he OK?" Daryl asked, taking a long drag of his smoke.

"He sounded alright enough. I don't know if he's still there or anything but you could give it a shot."

"Thanks a lot, man," Daryl said, nodding his head and walking to the door.

"No problem, hope you find him."

**/**

Merle was held for 30+ hours before his arraignment where he was charged with Simple Assault, a class A misdemeanor and Resisting Arrest, a Class B misdemeanor. His court-appointed counsel talked to the judge and pointed out that he'd never had trouble with the law and that the woman involved had submitted a statement that he was attempting to prevent an assault against her. Bail was set at $2500 and Axel paid it without batting an eye. His court date wasn't until August 1st, and he was dreading the outcome. He'd never been an angel but he'd never been in trouble with the law before.

Merle was released from the jail and mad as a hornet to be punished this way for helping a woman being strangled, but the cops involved said they didn't believe that side of the story. They were trying to make everyone involved believe it was a simple case of jealousy over a woman even though Merle said he didn't even know her.

"I could do time for this shit, Axel!" Merle growled. "Shoulda just kept my stupid nose out of it! What the hell am I gonna do now?"

"It's alright, man. You'll figure it all out. When's your court date?"

"Not till August 1st...thanks for helping me out, buddy."

"Don't mention it; you'd do it for me if you could."

"You're god damn right I would; you're the best friend I ever had. So the old lady doesn't know anything about it?"

"Nope, Rose is never around anyway, and it didn't take place in the bar so she'll probably stay in the dark."

"Thank God, she'd get all pissy."

Merle's co-worker, Oscar, would be working at that very moment but he'd have to hurry to get in for his evening shift while he still had a job.

"So why isn't this guy Phillip being arrested for strangling this chick?" Axel asked.

"That's an excellent question. She told them what happened and I'm thinking she'll make a statement or something. I don't even give a fuck what they do with him; I just wanna keep my own ass outta jail."

"I hear ya there, buddy."

**/**

Daryl got home and found Carol sitting at the kitchen table practicing some adding and subtracting with Sophia before supper.

"Hey you," she smiled. "Any luck?"

"I got an address, but I don't know what the hell to do with it," he sighed.

Daryl turned his attention to Sophia for a moment to say hi and ask her about her school work. Daryl wanted her to have all the care and attention he didn't get, he and Carol were going to break the cycle of bad parenting in their families.

Carol had never even met Merle since he'd left so long ago, but she'd heard a lot of stories, mostly happy ones from when they were children. She'd heard some of the bad ones too, though. Merle would get beaten and run off while Daryl would become the replacement punching bag until Merle returned after being dragged back by the state and round and round it went.

"So where is he living then?"

"As of two or three years ago he was working at a bar in Chattanooga, Tennessee but I have no idea if he's still there."

Carol stirred supper on the stove and could sense something off about Daryl; she always could.

"What's the matter?"

"I could probably just call, but there's so much I need to say to him. I guess I'm afraid he'll just hang up or something and then I won't get to say anything I need to."

"Do you think he's mad at you?" she asked.

"He never came back after Dad died, Abraham even told me he told Merle about that. He must have a problem with me or else why wouldn't he come back to see me?"

Carol's heart broke for him; she knew the loneliness of having no family in her life.

"Go wash up for supper, Sophia."

"OK, Mom."

Sophia ran off to the bathroom to wash her hands, and Carol took the time to wrap her arms around Daryl's waist.

"I think maybe you should take a few days to think and then write it all out in a letter."

"Maybe, but I'm not good with letters."

"I'll help you, OK? You can say everything you want to and then the ball will be in his court. If he doesn't write back or call then, we'll keep trying to find him for you."

"I want him to be a part of all this. I want our kids to have an uncle...I want my brother back."

"I know you do and I'll be right here to help you try and get him back, OK?"

"You're the best, Carol."

They all sat down for a typical weekday family supper and talked about their days. After watching cartoons with Sophia and braiding her hair, Daryl and Carol curled up on the couch together to start on the letter. 


	7. Danny

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 7 - Danny** _

A week passed since his arrest and Merle was still miserable about his run-in with the law, it felt very unfair to him. All he wanted in life was to keep himself to himself, work, drink and occasionally find some female company. Why he had to deal with this aggravation when he was trying to do something good was beyond him.

He was doing his usual evening shift at the bar and trying to chill out a bit when in walked someone he didn't want to see, that woman. That little, curly haired woman who'd been with the guy he beat up.

She sat at the end of the bar alone, and he begrudgingly took her drink order.

"You here to start something?" he grumbled.

It wasn't her fault, he knew that, but he had nobody else to take it out on.

"No, I wanted to thank you."

"You gonna tell me your name since I'm going down for helping you?" he asked, handing her the Paralyzer she ordered.

"I'm Danny."

"I'm going down for a woman with a boy's name?" he chuckled.

"It's Danielle actually. Why are you mad at me anyway? I didn't ask for your help, and when the cops showed up, I told them repeatedly that you weren't at fault. I'm going to testify in court for you; your legal aide guy asked me already."

He sighed and realized she probably was the best shot he had of not getting jail time out of the situation.

"Alright...thanks. You're really gonna testify for me?"

"Yes."

"And what about that prick who was trying to strangle the life outta ya?"

"I haven't seen him since that night; he's afraid of my brother, so he's keeping his distance now."

"Good."

She sat and swigged her drink, and he immediately served her another.

"It's on me," he said. "For speakin' up for me."

He went about his business and Danny stayed at the bar for the next two hours, listening to music, chatting with some regulars and dancing.

By the time the place was clearing out, he had noticed her lingering and watching him.

"What are you wanting from me, woman?" he asked when she ended up being the last one there.

"I told you already...I came to thank you," she said in a tone that he could easily recognize.

"You already done that," he answered.

He was sure it was a stupid idea, but she looked good to him and a night he didn't have to spend alone was always welcome.

"You gonna make me beg?" she asked, getting up from her bar stool and walking slowly toward him.

"Tell me this, though, if I fuck you and shit goes south between us are you just gonna skip court and leave me hanging?"

He wanted to cover his ass before he got in over his head.

"I'll do as I said I would. My word is good, and I'm just looking for company tonight anyway. I'm not trying to marry you, Merle."

"You just wanna fuck me?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Well, alright! Come on then," he grinned.

This was just the kind of sex he liked these days, 'no strings attached.' Just a simple roll in the hay and someone to hang onto for one night at least. He'd given up on wanting or expecting more ages ago, now he stayed guarded.

He locked up the bar and led her to the stairs going up to his shitty little room but grabbed a bottle of vodka on the way.

He wrapped an arm around her back and bent down to kiss her neck and take in the scent of her cheap perfume. She was cute in a trashy kind of way, just like him.

He got to his door and pulled her in, immediately smudging her red lipstick when he took her mouth with his own.

Merle set the bottle on the kitchen counter, and she pulled him closer by his belt loops.

"It made me so hot watching you kick Phillip's ass, Merle," she whined, reaching her eager hand inside his pants without even undoing them.

"Well, fuck!" he uttered, pulling her shirt over her head and letting his hands drift over her back.

The room became hotter and hotter as she worked his dick with erratic neediness.

Merle picked her up and plopped her on his bed in the corner of his one room hell hole.

He began on his belt and eyed her like she was a project, and he needed a plan.

"Take off your bra, honey."

She arched her back and reached underneath herself to undo it as he watched. He had a feeling she was a bit freaky, so he tested the water a little.

"Touch 'em for me."

He stood with his raging hard cock just looking down at her, wanting to see more.

Danny let her hands move over her breasts a few times and then focused on her nipples as he licked his lips.

She opened her legs and pushed her head back into the pillow as one hand moved down between her legs to touch herself through her clothing.

"You want more, I know you do," she moaned.

"Gimme more then," he agreed.

She undid her pants and pushed them down her legs and proceeded to tease her fingertips over her wet lips.

"You wanna get inside me, Merle? You wanna fuck me hard?"

"Yeah..."

She sat up when she could see he was starting to crack and slid to the edge of the bed where she yanked his pants down to free his desperate cock.

She sucked him off like it was her job and for all he knew it could be.

He groaned and threaded his fingers into her dark curly hair.

"You suck a mean cock there, girl!" he praised, and she didn't answer.

Merle was just about ready for a rubber and a little casual sex, but he enjoyed the blowjob until he couldn't take any more.

He leaned over her and reached for the condoms in the night stand. Merle lay on top of her and sucked her nipples hungrily as he paid special attention to her down low with his hand, he was very good with his hands.

He fingered her so slow she whined loudly for more and then he moved to her clit where he traced all the way around it but didn't touch it as he bit her breast softly.

"Make me cum...please."

He finally paid her clit the attention it craved and the light, wet circles did the trick, making her gasp and cry out, trying to get him closer. She became unhinged and started to moan with a string of expletives that did his ego good.

"Jesus! Merle...Mmmm...fuck!"

He bit the condom wrapper open and took a second to get it on properly; he didn't need diseases or babies in his life.

He thrust into her hard as she shivered and wrapped her legs around him.

"Damn! Your dick is fucking perfect!"

"Pfft!" he responded, he wasn't much of a talker in bed, so he just kept on going.

He continued to screw her in missionary position until he craved a change and rolled her onto her left side. Merle pulled her right leg up onto his shoulder and held it there. He leaned into it and fucked her good, occasionally grabbing her ass or her breasts.

She was loud and sounded almost like she was in pain.

"Jesus! You alright? This too much?" he checked.

"No, I fucking love it! Don't stop!" she cried.

"Sounds like I'm hurting ya."

"No...I...Mmmmm..."

He dug his fingers into her thigh and unloaded into the condom all his frustration at his recent misfortune.

**_/_ **

Danny got up off the bed within a few minutes, and he offered her a drink, but she got dressed quickly and said she had to get home. Merle didn't think they were going to be a couple or anything, but he still thought she might at least stay the night. He wasn't looking for a girlfriend per se but someone to hold onto was a guilty pleasure he held inside, afraid to admit out loud that he wanted it or needed it.

He walked her to the back door on the lower level so she wouldn't set off the alarm in the bar.

"Wham bam thank you, Merle. Huh?" he chuckled trying to pretend he didn't feel used.

"I have to get back for my babysitter...I'm sorry."

At least there was a reason for her running off.

"You need cab money?" he asked.

"It's OK; I got it."

She leaned in and kissed him slowly, and he knew it was a goodbye kiss, he recognized them by now. It left him wondering what an 'I'm going to stay' kiss felt like.

"Get home safe," he said, cause there was nothing else left to say.

"I had a great time…you're really something, Merle."

He shrugged, wondering what kind of a compliment that was.

He said goodnight to her and then she was gone. He didn't expect to see her again; he never saw any of them again.

Part of him kept thinking that just once a woman he slept with might want more from him, but not so far. He thought of the couples he'd seen kissing, holding hands and just being together and wondered what he was doing wrong. What made a woman want more than just your body? It dawned on him that you'd need more than your body to offer in the first place, and he wished that he had something like that. Meeting women while drinking was never a good start either but that was his typical MO. Alcohol gave him the courage to ask and the fortitude to accept the occasional rejection.

The next morning Merle slept late since it was a day off and the bar wouldn't be opened until that evening. The place was nice and quiet, and he woke up well past noon.

He stumbled to his fridge and opened it to find old milk and three pieces of pizza from almost a week ago.

"Damn it!" he groaned.

He threw on a pair of boxers and walked down to the bar to find something to drink; he was parched.

On a day off it seemed completely legit for him to crack a beer at only 1 pm. He took a nice long sip and tried not to think of Danny. He'd have to just add her to the blooper reel that was his 'romantic life' and move on as usual.

He was just lighting his first smoke of the day and opening his second beer when he saw the mail hit the floor of the bar when the mailman dropped it through the slot in the door.

Merle stood up and scratched his ass as he walked toward the pile of mostly junk mail but seeing his name on a non-business letter caught his eye.

He turned the envelope over to see who'd written it and his smoke fell to his feet when his mouth dropped open...

_**######################** _

_**Here we go:) Contact is made! I just felt like posting this one today as well to push the plot a little more. We will see more of Danny later, but she's not his boo in this story:)** _


	8. Love, Daryl

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 8 – Love, Daryl** _

Carol had the next morning off work, so she called Andrea to come over for coffee. Now that Sophia was off for summer holiday from school she was always in the backyard playing with Ben, so Carol figured they'd drink their coffee outside for a change. Her neighbor Jacqui was her babysitter in the summer when she worked and in return Carol and Daryl would take her son Ben when she needed a sitter. Ben and Sophia were the same age, and it was a blessing for her to have a friend right next door. The kids were already running through the sprinkler and eating Popsicles like they were going out of fashion that morning when she called Andrea up. Jacqui was out shopping, and Carol loved to have her son around, she was hoping for a son just as polite as him if she had a boy.

"Are you free for a couple of hours?" she asked, hoping Andrea didn't have meetings or some other work to do.

"You caught me on just the right day," Andrea sighed. "I need coffee and a good chat."

"Come on over then; I just have the kids in the backyard running around like mad."

"I'll be right over."

When Andrea arrived she looked casual for a change; she was often in 'lawyer clothes' but that morning it was jeans and a floral sleeveless flowy top.

"Aren't we looking pretty," Carol smiled as Andrea walked up the driveway with a paper bag full of pastries.

"Hey there, Mama! How's the baby today?" she laughed.

"This baby has been heaven so far, not one single day of morning sickness," she laughed. "I think I'm out of the woods for that now I'm 15 weeks already."

They sat down at the picnic table Daryl built in the backyard and took in the mid-July heat and sunshine.

"I bet Daryl's giddy, hey?"

"He's euphoric. He's going to be such a good dad," Carol smiled.

"He already is, he's great with Sophia."

"My dad was never anything like Daryl. I never even knew fathers could be like Daryl is with Sophia."

"I'm so happy for you two."

"So you're never getting married?" Carol asked.

"I don't have time. Did I tell you Jason is out of the picture already? I'm not so sure I'm the marriage or kids type really, but I like playing auntie to yours."

"It's not playing; you are her aunt. Daryl's trying to arrange an uncle for her at the moment too," Carol shrugged.

"What does that mean?" Andrea asked, completely baffled.

"His brother, the one I mentioned who took off when Daryl was a teenager? He wrote to him to see if they can reconnect...I'm hoping and praying it works out for Daryl."

"Wow! Me too. This brother has been gone for how long?"

"About ten years now, Daryl was 15 and Merle was 19 when they saw each other last and things were bad at home. Daryl still thinks everything can be like when they were kids before everything went bad. I hope it can be, but it's been a long time."

"I'll be crossing my fingers for him. Daryl's kinda sensitive, hey?"

"He's always wanted the family he didn't have growing up, I just don't want to see him get hurt."

"I'll kick this brother's ass if he hurts Daryl," Andrea insisted with a grin.

"I know you would," Carol smiled. "I just hope he writes back or something."

_**/** _

Merle was ultimately struck just by seeing his brother's name that in an instant the memories came flooding back. The screaming, the fear, the constant running.

He'd left his brother in Mariette so many years ago, and he was terrified to open the letter. It was going to be the ultimate guilt trip, but he knew that he deserved it.

He told Daryl so many times that he was there to protect him but the night he ran away he was sure he would kill their father and he felt he had no choice. His back was still scarred, and he still carried it all around in his head. The only solace he ever had was knowing that their old man hadn't done these things to Daryl. Neither of their lives was good at home, but Daryl had always been spared the worst of it. It was always Merle that got the belt, the switch, the electrical cord.

Merle knew he'd need a strong drink to read the letter; he needed a drink for almost everything lately. He poured a scotch into a glass, threw it back and opened the letter before he could hesitate any longer.

_**Dear Merle,** _

_**I know that it's been a really long time, but I was hoping to get in touch with you again. I don't even know if you're still at this address.** _

_**My life is really different now. I'm married, and we have a little girl and another little one on the way. I guess that's why I'm writing to you now, but I wish I'd tried sooner. I want my kids to know their uncle and I want to have a brother again. I do miss you a lot. I don't know why you never came back here to see me after dad died but I'm sure you had your reasons. If it's something I did, then I hope we could talk about it sometime.** _

_**Maybe I just remind you of things you'd rather forget and I understand if that's how you feel. I just remember when we were kids before mom died and dad went stupid and we had some good times. We even had some good times after she died, at least the two of us did. The only good memories I have are of you and me and I'd hate it if I never got to see you again.** _

_**I hope that you'll call and maybe come visit us, you could come and stay for a while if you wanted to. Life is short, and you're the only family I have so hopefully we can fix this. I'll do whatever I have to do to make it better. I just don't want dad to have the last word on our family; he already took so much from us.** _

_**Love, Daryl** _

_**(306)634-7752** _

Merle sighed heavily and just stared down at the paper in his hands. A vision of Daryl as a scrawny teenager popped into his mind, and he found himself smiling. He didn't understand why the letter wasn't full of profanity, telling him what a worthless brother he was and how much he hated him. That was Daryl though, he had a forgiving heart and always tried to make peace. Merle looked up at his face in the mirror behind the bottles on the bar and found that he looked old and tired. Could he even visit his brother in the state he was in?

It was almost impossible to get his mind around it all. His brother had a wife and a child. Merle was so curious to see such a thing, but he wasn't really in any shape to be around a family. He was drinking a lot and had charges looming over his head.

He decided to think about it for a day or two, but that was cut short by unforeseen circumstance.

When Rose found out that very same evening from Oscar about the charges against him, he lost his job and his home all in one shot.

The woman was ruthless and 9, almost ten years, of loyalty meant nothing to her apparently. Rose would rather keep her secret petty criminal activity from the police than stick her nose out for Merle and he couldn't say he was shocked. Rose had no real love for anyone and tossed him onto the street without so much as a second glance. Suddenly Merle had even less to lose than usual, so he picked up the phone in desperation.

_**/** _

Daryl was half way through _The Kissing Hand_ when Carol came to get him from Sophia's room. It was 8 pm, and he was laying on his back on her purple comforter reading along with her.

"Sorry, Sophia, but I need your dad for a minute."

"I'm almost done," he said.

"Honey, it's your brother on the phone."

"What?"

"It's Merle...he called."

"Sophia, I'll be right back OK?"

"OK."

Daryl got up and walked into the kitchen where the phone sat on the counter and looked at Carol for support, so she smiled and rubbed his back softly as he answered.

"Hello?"

"Daryl?"

"Yeah...is it really you, Merle?"

"Yeah. Who else would call you saying they were me?"

Yep, it was Merle alright. He'd know the voice anywhere. It was really just rhetorical to ask if it was him but that kind of thing was frequently lost on his brother.

"I just can't believe it; it's been so long."

"Well, you wanted me to call so..."

"How have you been?" he asked, wanting to hear all about his life.

"Great...fine," he answered, lighting a smoke and leaning against the phone booth. "I was just thinking of taking a little break from work and maybe I could head over to see you for a bit."

"Really? Wow! That would be great, Merle!"

"Relax, Daryl, it's only me," he muttered.

A light drizzle began to fall, and Merle ducked further into the phone booth to stay dry.

"I've just been wanting to see you again for such a long time...when can you come?"

Merle looked down at the ground and kicked at a cardboard box holding his meager possessions and sighed.

"Whenever you want. I'm actually free right now as luck would have it."

"Yeah, come on down then. We'd love to have you come stay with us."

Merle wasn't supposed to leave the state, but Axel was away on a long trucking job at the moment, and he had nowhere to go. Axel said he'd be gone for at least three weeks this time or else he probably would have stayed with him. He was afraid to see his brother, but he had no roof over his head and no more options.

"I could be there tomorrow unless that's too soon."

Daryl was smiling so big that Carol just knew it was going better than expected.

"That's just fine! I'll get the basement all fixed up for ya then. I put up drywall last year, and there's a bathroom and everything."

"You don't need to go to any special trouble."

"I'm happy to, man. Thanks for calling back."

"Sure, no problem."

Daryl didn't want to scare him off by bringing up anything from the past so he just left it alone and maybe Merle would want to talk later in person.

Merle picked up his bag from the concrete when it started to rain properly and threw it over his shoulder. He had nowhere to sleep that night so he'd have to crash at the shelter but in the morning he could hop on a bus. He had a couple hundred dollars to his name that he'd kept in a coffee can on his fridge and he was glad to at least have that. His rainy day fund had come in handy on this ugly rainy day. Daryl gave him his address and told him he couldn't wait to see him again.

"Been a long time, little brother. I'll take the bus in the morning, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Great! See ya then."

When Daryl hung up he hollered "YES!" so loud that Carol jumped and Sophia ran into the kitchen wondering what was happening.

"My brother is going to be here tomorrow! Can you believe that? Tomorrow!"

Carol was so excited for him, she pulled him close for a long hug and big kiss. Seeing him this happy was just what she had prayed for.

Merle hung up the phone and wandered over to a bench to think for a minute before moving on to the shelter to wait out the night.

_**#########################################** _

_**I'm going to post this a little faster now, faster than just Mondays and Fridays but no specific time either. lol** _

_**Thank you for reading and for the kind words:) It's very much appreciated. Teagan XOXOX** _


	9. Coming Home

 

]

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 9 – Coming Home** _

Carol felt her heart exploding with happiness for Daryl, and when they finally got Sophia back to bed, he insisted on going down to the basement right away to get started.

She followed him downstairs and helped him make up the spare bed with fresh sheets. The look on Daryl's face said it all; he was ecstatic.

"See? Your letter worked," she smiled, handing him another pillow from the cupboard.

"I wish I hadn't waited so long to try now. I can't believe he's coming home."

Daryl walked over to the shelf he'd built in the spare room and took down his one family photo album from before he met Carol. He sat down on the bed and flipped through it, looking at all the pictures of Merle and him and his mom; he'd long since destroyed the ones of their father.

Carol looked over his shoulder and smiled. The picture was of Merle and Daryl at a baseball game, and they looked so happy.

"He was the one who played catch with me and taught me to fish. He even had to have 'the talk' with me...my parents didn't do any of that."

"Sounds like he was very important to you," Carol noted, still praying it would go as he hoped.

"He was all I ever had."

Daryl looked over and smiled at her and touched her belly.

"Starting to show more now," he grinned.

"Almost four months already, they say you show faster with the second one."

"Do you want to know what it is?" he asked.

"It's up to you, honey. I've done this once already."

"I don't want to know. I want it to be like Christmas morning. I'll never get a better gift than a baby, right?"

"Daryl, you're too much," she grinned, leaning in to kiss him.

They stayed up late getting the room ready for Merle. They vacuumed the carpet that Daryl had laid the year before and put away Sophia's bike and toys. The basement was normally where she played on rainy or cold days, but now it was a guest area.

Carol put some clean towels on the bed and opened the basement window to air it out overnight.

"Looks OK, right?" he asked when they were done.

"I think it looks good; I'm sure he'll like it."

"You two better get to bed," he grinned.

He'd taken to referring to her as two people on occasion, and she thought it was adorable.

When they finally climbed into bed, he held her close in the dark, and she could tell without even seeing his face that he was still smiling.

_**/** _

Merle still couldn't believe he'd been fired after years of faithful service. He thought he'd meant a little more to Rose than that.

When morning came, he was awoken in the shelter by an old timer having a severe coughing fit and he groaned, feeling much older than 29.

The bathroom in the shelter was filthy, but he used it to wash up and get himself feeling clean. He had a shower in the communal area that looked like it belonged in a prison and tried to pretend a creepy guy in the corner wasn't staring at his dick.

Daryl had a house and a family, and he didn't want to show up looking like an animal. Telling his younger brother he'd been fired and was in trouble with the law was not in his plans, he just wanted to get away from his life for a couple of weeks.

Leaving the state was stupid, but he'd keep his nose clean, and he was sure it would be okay.

He ate the porridge at the shelter then took the bus leaving Chattanooga at 10 am; he'd be arriving after 2 hours and 20 minutes according to the ticket.

Merle wondered what Daryl looked like now. He'd be 24, almost 25, not the 15-year-old kid he'd left behind but a man with a wife and children.

It was hard to get his mind around the fact that his brother was so much further ahead of him in life. The view out the window of the bus passed quickly, and he was almost scared to get off the bus at his destination, maybe he'd disappoint his brother after all these years.

_**/** _

At the bus stop in Mariette, he lit a smoke and dug in his pockets for some change to hop on another bus to Daryl's place.

"Merle?"

It wasn't the voice he remembered and yet it sounded so familiar. Merle turned around and there he was.

"Daryl?"

He was a man now, he had facial hair and a deep voice, and suddenly it was evident how much he'd missed.

Daryl wanted to hug him; Merle could see it in his face, so he put his stuff down and held out his arms. He could still read his face accurately cause only a second later he was hugging his kid brother again. Merle patted him on the back and thought of all the times he'd hugged him when they were little. Daryl had always been a sensitive kid and Merle was the only one who took the time to make him feel better after their mom died.

Finally, Daryl let go and looked a little embarrassed by his own show of emotion.

"I didn't know you were coming to get me," Merle said.

"I figured I may as well, right? How was the trip?" Daryl asked, sounding overly excited.

"It was the bus; it was OK."

Daryl motioned to the parking lot and Merle picked up his bag and his cardboard box to follow him.

"Carol is cooking a big supper tonight and Sophia is all excited to meet her uncle," Daryl rambled, walking two steps ahead of him.

Everything Daryl said sounded overwhelming to Merle. He hadn't had any family in years and the family they had growing up didn't involve family suppers and bonding.

"I still can't believe you have a kid," he said, tossing his stuff in the back of Daryl's truck. "Last time I saw you, you hadn't even been with a girl."

"I guess I should fill you in about all that actually. The baby that's coming is mine, but technically Sophia isn't."

"You're raising another man's kid?"

"Yeah, but she's mine now. I fell in love with Carol, and I don't even think of Sophia as someone else's anymore."

"Where's the father?" Merle asked.

"Out of the picture. He was...like our dad."

"Oh."

"Just thought you should know cause she doesn't look like me at all and we don't talk about her dad when we can avoid it. Sophia calls me dad now."

Daryl drove, and Merle flicked his smoke out the window of the truck feeling like he needed a drink. Being around Daryl and all his happy family stuff felt strange, and he needed something to settle his nerves. Merle didn't meet new people often, certainly not people whose opinions he cared about.

"So what do you do for work?" Merle asked when the silence had stretched out a little too long.

"I'm a moving man," Daryl laughed. "I just bust my ass all day moving people from one house to another. You're a bartender?"

"Yeah."

Merle was in no hurry to tell him he was unemployed. He'd get work again when he returned from this little break if he wasn't sent to prison.

It was Saturday and Daryl was happy to be able to spend the whole weekend with him. It got him thinking that more time off might be nice, maybe they could take a short camping trip to talk privately about things in the past. Daryl still had a lot of questions.

"Daryl...could you stop by the liquor store?"

"Sure! Yeah, we should celebrate! I gave it up for Carol, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind under the circumstances if I had a couple."

"Great."

It was more of a need to drink than a desire to celebrate, but this worked just fine.

Merle picked up a bottle of Dark Navy rum, a case of Coke and a fresh pack of smokes and hoped his money would last the whole trip.

When they pulled up outside Daryl and Carol's house, he felt a little less out of place. It was not a fancy place by any stretch, but it was still a lot more than he had to his name. It was just a little bungalow that could use some TLC, but it had a happy family living in it.

Merle had only just stepped out of the truck when he spotted a little blonde girl chasing a boy across the front lawn.

"Sophia, honey!" Daryl called, and Merle realized he was looking at his brother's daughter.

She approached with her little friend standing behind her and smiled.

"You're my dad's brother?" she asked, looking excited.

"That's me. You Sophia, my brother's kid?"

She laughed at this and nodded.

"Yes. My mom's having a baby."

"So I hear," Merle answered. The kid was talkative, and he couldn't think of the last time he'd spoken to a child, so it was awkward as hell.

Daryl walked over and took the bag from him and nodded to the house.

"Come in and meet Carol," he beamed.

This was the happiest family Merle had ever seen, and it made him so strangely uneasy. Daryl deserved all this happiness, maybe he hadn't taken the hits Merle had, but he still grew up in that house. Merle found himself feeling better knowing that leaving him hadn't ruined his life. Daryl had done OK for himself, at least one of them had.

_**##########################################################################** _

_**I'll be posting daily now:) Thank you for reading and for your patience:)** _

_**Teagan XOXO** _


	10. Getting Reacquainted

_** Estranged ** _

_**Chapter 10 – Reacquainted** _

Merle was lead into Daryl's home like the prodigal son returning to fanfare that didn't feel deserved. Daryl's daughter had colored a sign for him that was taped on the fridge door proclaiming ' ** _Welcom Unkle MerL!'_**

The whole thing was mystifying, and he had no idea what to do with himself as he sat down at the kitchen table.

Daryl's wife, Carol smiled brightly at him, and she was a beauty. She was slender except for a small show of pregnancy and had medium brown short hair. Her eyes, though, that's what really did it for him. She had bright blue, cheeky looking eyes. When she leaned in to hug him he could see just why his brother had chosen her; she was gorgeous.

"It's so exciting to meet you. Daryl has told me so many wonderful things about you."

"Really? Must be lies," he laughed, and she did too.

"Daryl never lies so I know it's all true," she smiled.

Daryl placed the bags on the counter and asked her if she'd mind if he had a drink with his brother.

"Of course not, I told you that you didn't have to give it up anyway," she grinned.

"I know but I should," Daryl said, wrapping his arms around her waist and touching her belly for a moment.

Merle still couldn't get his mind around his brother with a wife and children; he was a man now.

Carol made them both a rum and coke and they sat at the table to chat.

"I'll make the next round, honey," Merle insisted, taking a sip of his drink and nodding to Carol. "I am a bartender after all."

"You're a guest," she smiled.

Daryl put on some music, sat down across from Merle and just looked at him; there was so much he wanted to say, but he didn't know how.

"So what's Tennessee like?" he asked, trying to start somewhere.

"It's nothing to write home about, at least where I live. It's not a great neighborhood."

"That's a shame," Carol mused. "How long have you been there?"

"Since about a year after I left here," he uttered. "I wandered around for a bit and then landed at _The Back Country Bar_ and just never had the sense to leave."

"I still can't believe it's really you," Daryl smiled. "I was starting to think I'd never see you again."

"Well, here I am," Merle shrugged.

People being this excited to see him was a foreign concept and a little scary.

"What do you say we take a little trip for a couple of days, maybe do some fishing or something?" Daryl asked.

He was talking so fast; Carol hoped Merle had even caught it all.

"Yeah, man, sure. Whatever you want."

After a few drinks Sophia came in with her friend to get a snack and stared at her new uncle with great interest.

"How old are you?" Merle asked when she wouldn't stop staring. He needed to break up the awkwardness somehow.

"I'm 6. How old are you?"

"29 going on 50," he joked.

It wasn't far from the truth of how he felt, though. Most days he woke up feeling like he'd been hit by a truck.

Sophia laughed at his joke and ran out to play with Ben in the yard.

"Do not leave the yard, Sophia!" Carol called after her.

"I won't, Mom!"

A few hours of awkward chit-chat later, and about three rum and cokes, Carol served ham and potatoes with green bean casserole and homemade biscuits. Merle was starting to like the look of the whole marriage thing.

"Would ya look at all this!" Merle exclaimed. "This is the best lookin' meal I've seen in years...thanks!"

Carol blushed and handed him a cloth napkin she generally saved for Christmas dinner.

"Sophia, will you say grace?" Daryl asked.

Sophia cleared her throat and thought for a second before speaking.

"Dear God, thank you for the food and thank you for Mom and Dad and for Uncle Merle coming to stay with us. Amen."

"Good girl," Daryl grinned.

Merle ate like a king and offered to help clean up, but Carol wouldn't hear of it.

Daryl and Merle retired to the backyard to talk in the evening and watched Sophia run around.

"It really worked out good for you," Merle noted, lighting a smoke and looking over at those same eyes.

"It's all cause of Carol; she's the best thing in my life."

"I'm glad...you deserve it."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Not at the moment."

Merle hadn't had a real girlfriend since high school but was too ashamed to mention that.

"You never stayed single long back in the day," Daryl smirked.

"Back then I sure didn't," he laughed.

Daryl noticed the sun was down and looked at his watch to check the time.

"Sophia, honey! Bed!"

"Just ten more minutes," she whined.

"You need your rest. You gotta go jump in the shower too; you're filthy."

"Will you come read to me when I'm done?" she asked. She was stood before them with her ponytail loose and messy, scratching a mosquito bite on her shin.

"It's my night, ain't it?" he grinned. "Bang on the kitchen window when you're ready cause I'm just talking to Uncle Merle, OK?"

"OK. Goodnight, Uncle Merle."

"Goodnight, little one."

She ran off inside, and Merle shook his head.

"That's gonna take some getting used to."

"Do you mind?" Daryl checked.

"Hell no! I just never thought anyone would call me uncle."

"Carol had a family a lot like ours, and she was an only child, so Sophia is excited to have some family, even if it isn't a blood relation."

"I've never been anyone's uncle, but I'll give it a go."

The back yard was quiet, save for the chirp of crickets and Merle was exhausted from sleeping in a hell hole the night before.

"You look pretty tired," Daryl noted. "I'll show you your room so you can turn in."

Merle followed him downstairs and noticed that the basement looked very accommodating.

"Make yourself at home. You got your own bathroom and the TV and couch down here so...stay as long as you like if you don't need to rush back."

"I'm in no hurry."

"That's awesome. It still doesn't quite feel real that you're here," Daryl said, looking at him like he was some kind of celebrity.

"I don't really believe it either," he agreed, dropping his stuff on the floor next to the bed.

"Well, I'll leave you alone and let you sleep," Daryl shrugged. "Anything you need you just ask, OK?"

Merle almost wished he'd stop being so sweet, but that was Daryl through and through. He didn't feel he deserved this royal treatment after what happened in the past, but Daryl didn't even seem to care about that.

"Thanks for letting me stay with you, Daryl, you got a real nice house and family."

Daryl smiled like he'd been praised by the king himself and Merle would never for the life of him understand it.

"Thanks a lot! Goodnight," Daryl nodded, still grinning and headed up the stairs.

"Goodnight, little brother."

Merle never did understand the look in Daryl's eyes. Daryl always seemed to see something in him that he didn't believe existed. Daryl was happy to see him every time he was dragged back by the state. He'd get yelled at for ages, beaten and then locked in his room, but then there would be Daryl sneaking in to talk when their dad finally passed out. He'd want to know where he'd been, who he'd crashed with and then he'd ask him if he'd stay, but Merle could never promise him that. The pain and the rage would get so intense at times that he had to run just to save his sanity.

Merle sat down on the edge of the neatly made bed and looked around him at the new surroundings. It felt good to be welcomed into their lives like he belonged there, better than he ever expected it to. This nice little family didn't know who he really was; something told him if they knew the truth that he wouldn't be so welcome.

He got undressed and pulled back the clean, fresh-scented sheets, turned off the light and lay down.

Merle closed his eyes and sighed heavily, wondering if he could live up to what they saw in him.

_**###################################################** _

_**Thanks so much for reading:)** _

_**Next chapter they are going to celebrate Merle's arrival with a BBQ and he'll meet some more new people;)** _


	11. BBQ

_ **Estranged** _

_**Chapter 11 - BBQ**_

 

The first thing Merle heard in the morning was the sound of little feet stomping around upstairs and giggling, apparently Sophia. Next, it was the sound of Carol telling her to keep it down so she wouldn't wake up her uncle.

Merle rolled over and decided a shower would be an order. He had only a few changes of clothes with him and his one box of possessions but wanted to make himself presentable.

He stumbled through the dim, unfamiliar basement to the bathroom that Daryl had roughed in and turned on the shower. Having a couple of drinks the night before had eased the tension, but he contemplated trying to get that part of himself under some control. It was evident that Daryl and Carol weren't big drinkers, even before she became pregnant.

Merle stripped off his clothes, stepped under the hot water and groaned laboriously, it felt like heaven.

He scrubbed himself and shaved his face before wrapping a towel around his waist to head back to his room.

The second he stepped out of the bathroom he was confronted by Sophia.

“Uh...sorry,” he muttered, feeling completely exposed.

“Did you see my skip rope?” she asked, looking up at him with little blue doe eyes.

Merle held the towel tight in his right hand and pointed with his left to the item in question.

“Isn't that it?”

“Thanks!”

She grabbed her toy and ran off up the stairs as he let all the air out of his lungs, thanking God that he'd even bothered with a towel. He was accustomed to wandering around his one-room dump naked, but that sure couldn't fly here with a little girl around.

Merle got dressed and headed upstairs to find Daryl but only found Carol and Sophia.

“Daryl just ran to the store; he'll be right back,” Carol informed him.

“OK.”

“Come sit; I made coffee and some breakfast.”

Merle thanked her and sat down at the kitchen table where she handed him a mug with a big smile. She was wearing a t-shirt dress that morning that made her belly even more apparent, and he couldn't help staring. This woman was carrying his brother's child, the same brother who only days ago had been 15-years-old in his mind.

Sophia was bouncing around the room and talking fast about back to school shopping and anything else that flew through her mind.

Merle took a sip of the coffee and sighed; it was strong, and he needed it.

Carol finished up the scrambled eggs and toast and sat next to him.

“I think Daryl is planning to drag you out to the woods for a few days.”

“That'd be alright,” he nodded.

“He says you taught him to fish and hunt as a child.”

“Someone had to. I had to teach him to shave and drive too...when I was around.”

“That must have been a lot of responsibility for you at such a young age,” Carol noted.

“I did it as long as I could...what else was I gonna do?” he shrugged but threw in a little smile.

Merle looked up at Sophia who appeared to be interested in the conversation but a little confused as well. Staying with them was a whole different world than living all alone. He found himself not knowing what to say almost every time he opened his mouth.

After breakfast, Carol put on some music and sat down to look at a pregnancy book.

“I'm going to play with Ben!” Sophia announced, pulling on her runners.

“OK, baby. Stay in the yard and be careful!”

"OK, Mom!”

With that, the door slammed, and he was left at the table with Carol as she read her book and looked at terrifying pictures.

“So when is it coming?” he asked when the silence had lingered on for a while.

“Around January 5th. I'm kinda terrified to do this over again,” she laughed. “I'm so used to sleeping all night now.”

“I bet that's rough,” he commented. “Babies don't sleep good, huh?”

“Nope. Sophia was up every 3 hours for months and months.”

“Jesus! Really?”

“I swear I felt like a zombie after a while. I was misplacing my keys all the time and putting things like milk in the freezer,” she chuckled.

Merle laughed at that; Carol was both pretty and funny.

Daryl walked in then with bags from the grocery store and a case of beer.

“Carol, call up Andrea and see if she can make it over tonight, we're gonna have a barbecue. We have to celebrate Merle coming back.”

“You don't have to go to no trouble, Daryl; it's only me,” Merle insisted.

“We want to. It'll be good food and drink, trust me,” Daryl pressed.

On Sundays in the summer, Daryl liked to barbecue, and it often ended up drawing a bunch of neighbors to their backyard. Jacqui and Ben would come and Andrea, when she wasn't busy with work, and anyone else who just wanted to hang out.

“That's a great idea,” Carol grinned and reached for her phone.

“You're gonna love Andrea,” Daryl added, “she's Carol's best friend.”

Merle shrugged and hoped an evening with strangers wouldn't be too weird.

The only thing Merle knew for sure was that he couldn't bear to tell Daryl about his real life and impending court case, that wasn't happening.

“Is she cute?” he asked, trying to lighten his own mood.

Carol smiled at him and nodded.

“She's stunning, right Daryl?”

“She's a looker alright,” Daryl agreed. “She's got nothing on you, though, babe.”

Daryl took her face and kissed her slowly before letting her go with a wink.

This would be odd for some time to come, but Merle felt like he owed all this to Daryl and maybe even to himself.

A big part of him was dreading the talk they'd be having at some point, very likely when they were alone and camping, but for tonight there was a party going down.

/

That evening, Daryl had steaks and burgers and chicken all lined up ready for barbecuing, and his happiness was palpable. Sophia and Ben, along with a few other neighborhood kids, were running around like mad and playing an evening game of hide and seek. The whole thing felt so wholesome and unnatural to Merle, so he sat at the picnic table with a beer and just observed everything going on around him.

Daryl and Carol's neighbor, Jacqui, sat down across from him and started a conversation.

“So, you're Daryl's brother, right?”

“Yeah,” he answered and held out his hand to her.

“I'm Jacqui, the mother of that little terror running around,” she laughed.

“He's a really nice kid,” Merle answered. From what little he'd seen of the boy he always said please and thank you, he seemed like a good kid.

“I try my best; it's a lot of work being both mom and dad.”

“You on your own?”

“Ever since he was a baby.”

“That's gotta be rough.”

“Very, but also really rewarding.”

Merle found himself having a decent conversation with Jacqui. She was easy to talk to and even though she was very pretty he found he wasn't too nervous, Daryl and Carol's friends seemed nice.

Most of the women he interacted with at the bar were drunk or getting there, not great for conversation.

The backyard of Daryl and Carol's little house became more and more filled with neighbors who just appeared out of nowhere. The music was turned up, so were the patio lanterns and Merle couldn't believe the fuss being made over him.

When it came time to eat, Sophia plopped herself down next to him to eat her supper.

“Uncle Merle?”

He looked down at her, swinging her legs and eating a piece of chicken like a savage. She was a little tomboy, and he found it cute how she was always running around and constantly filthy.

“Yeah?”

“Dad says that you taught him how to catch fish. Can you teach me too?”

“Your dad hasn't taught you yet?” he asked.

“No, I never asked him.”

“How come? I'm sure he would take ya,” he laughed.

“I don't know,” she shrugged. "I don't think he likes the creek."

“You wanna go to Sope Creek?” he asked.

“Yeah. I think I could do it,” she grinned.

“Pfft! Of course, you could. I'll take ya if it's OK with your mom.”

She said thank you then proceeded to devour two more pieces of chicken and wiped her mouth on her arm.

Sophia ran off without a word, and Merle grinned. She reminded him of Daryl as a kid, only much tougher.

Daryl finally finished up with all the barbecuing duties and came to sit down next to him at the picnic table.

“How's it going?” he asked.

“Great! The food is really good,” he added.

“Oh! Andrea's here, finally. Hey! Andrea, over here!” Daryl hollered.

Merle turned in the direction he was yelling and couldn't help staring. Andrea was just like Carol described, stunning.

She was medium height, slim, blonde and had bright blue eyes. There was a little wave in her golden blonde hair, and it moved in the wind as she laughed at something Carol said. She was wearing a white sundress with blue flowers and Merle just froze, his eyes trained on her. After a moment, he looked down at his plain flannel shirt and washed out jeans and back up at her. She wasn't for him, not by a long shot.

Andrea looked over at Daryl and nodded acknowledgment to him with a smile.

“That's Carol's friend?” Merle asked, giving Daryl a look any man could recognize from another man.

“Yep! Not bad, huh?”

“Jesus!” he uttered, and Daryl grinned.

Andrea walked over, with a wine cooler in her hand and sat down next to Daryl who leaned in to kiss her cheek.

Andrea, Daryl, and Carol had been through hell together dealing with Carol's divorce and were very close now.

“Finally, you show up to our little soiree,” Daryl teased.

“I had paperwork, Daryl, you know how it is,” she shrugged.

“This is my brother, Merle. Merle, this is Andrea Harrison.”

“Hi, it's nice to meet you,” she smiled, reaching out her hand to him.

“Hi,” he replied, shaking her hand.

Merle could feel his heart beating hard in his chest, and he knew his hand was sweaty when he touched hers.

“Andrea is a lawyer. She helped Carol with her divorce, even though she's a criminal defense attorney by trade. Basically, she's awesome,” Daryl grinned, wrapping his arm around her waist.

“A lawyer, huh? That's impressive,” Merle answered, knowing right then and there that she was a hundred miles out of his league.

“It's a lot of work, hardly any free time,” she replied with a roll of her pretty blue eyes.

Merle didn't know what to say so he just nodded.

“What do you do?” she asked, and he pulled a face like he didn't want to say.

“I'm a bartender.”

“I bet you get to meet all kinds of different people in that line of work,” she smiled. “Tell me, can you mix a good Manhattan?”

“Best you ever had,” he grinned.

He was a pretty good bartender considering he normally only got asked to open beer and mix highballs.

“I'll have to test you on that,” she laughed.

“You go right ahead, honey. I'll do my best for ya.”

Daryl looked from Merle's face to Andrea's and noted the immediate and obvious sexual tension between them.

“I'm just going to see what Carol's up to,” he said, getting up to leave the table but neither of them answered him, they just nodded and continued to look at each other.

 

 

 


	12. The Ever-Present Past

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 12 – The Ever-Present Past** _

Merle was astounded by any attraction on Andrea's part. She looked about his age but so classy, and she was well educated to boot. He didn't have a single thing in common with a woman like this, but she sure was pretty. Andrea sipped her drink and asked him how things were with Daryl now that they had reconnected.

"Good so far, but we have a lot of talking to do. I think we're going camping for a couple days to air things out and do some fishing."

"Just going to Sope Creek?" she asked.

"Probably, it's so close we may as well. Me and Daryl used to fish there as kids."

"You guys should stay in my camper; I keep it out there all year."

"Yeah?"

"Sure, it's just sitting there. Better than tenting it if you don't have to."

"Thanks. Sophia wants me to teach her to fish."

"That's sweet. She's just the cutest, isn't she?"

"Sure is, I never thought I'd have a niece. I bet everyone's wondering what kind of asshole abandons his own brother," Merle said, looking around at the group of people drinking, eating and chatting.

"It's nobody's business but yours and Daryl's," she assured him.

"It's going to be hard to even talk to him about, I ain't got much of an excuse," he admitted, taking a long sip of his drink and avoiding eye contact.

"Daryl's very understanding, I'm sure it'll be fine. He's really excited that you're here."

"I know, but I'm not the same guy who left here ten years ago."

Merle smiled at her but before he could say another word he was pulled away by Sophia who asked him if he could get her ball off the road.

He nodded to Andrea and went off to help Sophia.

For how pretty Andrea was and how nervous she made him he found her surprisingly easy to talk to. There was something very kind in her eyes that made him want to open up.

The party was hectic and crowded, and over the course of the night, Merle was introduced to about 15 people whose names he'd never remember.

By the time everyone was wandering home he'd had about three too many drinks but still managed to help tidy the yard a little before flopping down on the couch in Daryl and Carol's living room.

Carol and Andrea were busy trying to clear up the kitchen, and Daryl had to drive a work friend home who'd had too much to drink.

"Mom! Who's gonna read to me?" Sophia asked.

She had just gotten out of the shower, and it was already well past her bedtime.

"I will. Just a second, honey," Carol answered, juggling plates and cups to fill the dishwasher.

"I got it," Merle sighed, getting up to follow Sophia to her room.

"Oh, thank you, Merle! You're a lifesaver," Carol exclaimed.

"No problem."

Walking into Sophia's room was an odd experience for Merle. It was floor to ceiling pink and purple, and it didn't seem to jive with who she was; he'd had her pegged as a bit of a tomboy.

"Like pink, huh?" he muttered.

"I love pink," she smiled, jumping onto her bed.

"What do you want me to read?" he asked, trying to find somewhere to sit. He hoped he could even get through a book as tipsy as he was.

She handed him _The Kissing Hand_ , and he sat down on the floor next to her bed cause there were no chairs.

"You have to come sit here so I can see the pictures," she insisted, patting the bed beside her.

"Yeah...I don't know the rules about kids and beds and uncles...maybe I should just stay right here," he laughed.

He was never around little girls, but something told him that sitting on a kid's bed would just look wrong.

Carol smiled from the doorway, watching the negotiation.

"It's fine, Merle. That's how she and Daryl do this every night."

"OK," Merle answered.

This uncle thing was strange to him.

He opened the book and sat next to her on the purple bedspread.

"I can't see the pictures," she informed him.

Merle sighed and leaned back against her pink pillows and felt like a total weirdo.

"Alright, you good now?"

"Yep!" she chirped.

_**/** _

"He seems nice," Andrea said quietly in the kitchen. "Sophia asked him to teach her to fish already."

"Really? What did he say?" Carol asked.

"He said he would."

"That's sweet. He taught Daryl to fish when they were little too."

"How long is he staying?" Andrea asked, looking at the light coming from Sophia's open door and listening to the sound of Merle reading.

"Not sure yet, he says he's taking some time off work so it could be a couple of weeks I think. It'll be nice for Daryl to get to know him again."

"They have some stuff to talk about, hey?"

Andrea was in the know enough to realize it wasn't all settled, no matter how excited Daryl was.

"I think Daryl needs this," Carol said. "He needs to deal with the past."

Andrea ran her hand over Carol's shoulder. She knew Carol was concerned about Daryl; she was too. Daryl wore his heart on his sleeve; he was always vulnerable to getting hurt.

"I have to see this," Andrea finally relented.

A big, gravelly voiced man reading to a little girl was irresistible to her. She tiptoed over to the open door to peek inside.

"This book is really long," Merle groaned.

"Keep going," Sophia pressed, leaning on his shoulder, "this is the good part."

"Chester took his mother's hand in his own and unfolded her large, familiar fingers into a fan. Next, he leaned forward and kissed the center of her hand. Now you have a kissing hand too he told her. And with a gentle 'goodbye' and 'I love you,' Chester turned and danced away."

Andrea grinned at the two of them and walked back to Carol.

"Have a look."

Carol walked over and watched from the door as he finished the book. Her daughter had some more family now, and it was a beautiful sight to see.

Daryl arrived back from driving his friend home then and apologized for taking so long.

"I had to stop so he could buy smokes and puke," he groaned and rolled his eyes. "Where's Merle?"

"Reading to Sophia," Carol answered.

Daryl smiled, this was the beginning of having a real extended family. Daryl sat with Carol and Andrea for a few more minutes until Merle walked out of Sophia's room.

"She says she needs water."

Carol told him she'd get it and Andrea announced that she had to get going.

"I'll walk you out, I need a smoke after that weepy book," Merle joked. It was a thinly veiled excuse to spend a few more minutes with her.

He held the door for her and pulled his smokes out of his back pocket. Andrea stood on the front porch as he lit his cigarette and she fidgeted with her purse.

"So you'll be staying a while then?" she asked casually.

"Yeah, we've got a lot of catching up to do."

"I guess I'll be seeing you around then," she said, reaching for his smoke, so he relinquished it to her.

"Hope so," he answered, trying not to look at her too hungrily.

Andrea handed back his cigarette after taking a quick drag and smiled before turning to leave.

It was never going to happen, but it didn't mean he couldn't dream; he still wished for things sometimes even if he couldn't have them. Watching her walk away was like being 6 and staring at a toy he'd never get for Christmas through a frosty window, exciting but a complete tease.

When he got back inside Daryl and Carol were just heading off to bed, so he said goodnight and grabbed two more beers from the fridge before heading down to the basement.

Life with a family was hectic and overwhelming; he just needed a couple more drinks to send him to dreamland. He always needed a couple more than everyone else, sometimes much more than a couple.

He took off all his clothes except for his boxers, sat down on the bed and saw something he recognized on the shelf.

He picked up the photo album he recognized from his childhood, even though he knew he shouldn't.

He hadn't seen any childhood pictures since he left and never thought he would again. The pictures in their childhood were few and far between, family photos were never a priority in their home. Growing up in that house had been mostly survival.

Daryl had the fresh face of youth and innocence in these pictures, and he wished it could have stayed that way. Looking at pictures of himself and Daryl left him a little emotional, and he finished one of the beers quickly. They should have had better than they had. What had they ever done to deserve the hell they lived through?

Losing their mother had been painful enough, but being left with a man who showed them no warmth added insult to injury.

Merle noticed an old snapshot of him showing Daryl how to throw a baseball and he smiled at how Daryl looked up at him in the photo. For years, Daryl had been his little shadow, and he'd been a hero to him. There was absolutely nothing special about Merle but Daryl worshiped him still.

The night he left, Merle had been drunk and high and came within inches of murdering their father. Daryl hadn't seen the choke hold he'd had him in or heard the words he said to him. Merle always told him to get the hell out of the house when it got especially bad, and Daryl had likely been hanging with friends or just throwing pebbles into Sope Creek when it all went down. Even though Daryl was 15, Merle had still wanted to shield him from the worst of it.

_**You'll never lay a hand on me again! I wish you were dead you piece of shit! It should have been you that died, not her!** _

When their father passed out cold, Merle was sure he was dead, and he wept into his shaking, nineteen-year-old hands. Only after discovering that he was still breathing did he pack his belongings to leave. Merle hadn't even been planning to stay away for good at the time but after almost killing the old man he was afraid of potential charges against him. Before he knew it, a few months became a year, and then he just couldn't face Daryl.

Thankfully, Daryl never received the same beatings he did. It was always Merle that took most of the physical punishment while Daryl usually just got screamed at.

Nothing about their childhood was OK. None of it could be made OK now, but Daryl was fixing it for the future. Merle was proud of him and the family he'd built for himself. Sophia and the baby that was coming would never know the pain of being whipped, verbally abused or neglected and that made Merle happy.

Daryl and his family was the only redemption that could be found in the whole mess.


	13. Fishing

_ **Estranged** _

_**Chapter 13 - Fishing**_

Merle was only mildly hung over when he woke up to the sound of Sophia throwing a ball against the side of the house.

_**Thump….thump….thump…** _

She was a lot like Daryl as a child, even though she wasn’t his biological child. She was happy and sweet; a simple little being who saw the best in everyone.

He groaned and dragged himself out of bed. Apparently he’d slept in, it was already 11am so he decided to take a shower and get himself moving.

When he got back to his room he eyed the box of personal effects he was keeping next to the bed. It included his court documents and he was dreading the prospect of dealing with it. In a few weeks he’d have to return to Chattanooga to stand before a judge and possibly receive a sentence of close to a year. It wasn’t a huge stretch, but for something as small as helping a woman and kicking a guy’s ass it was more than he wanted to pay. He wished he’d stayed out of it, especially now that he had some people to call family.

Merle took the papers for court and a pamphlet for AA that he’d picked up casually at the shelter and slid it between the mattress and the box spring.

Carol tiptoed down the stairs and he saw her feet pass by his open door. He was just pulling on his shirt and he smiled at her little round belly in one of Daryl’s undershirts.

“Good morning,” he said, making her jump at the sound of his voice. “Sorry, Carol, not trying to scare ya.”

“I was just trying to be quiet, I thought you might still be asleep,” she laughed. “I just have to do some laundry before I head off to work.”

“Is Daryl already gone?” he asked.

“Yes, but he called already and his boss is letting him take his holidays starting tomorrow so you two can go on your trip.”

“It's not too far at least,” he said. “In case you need anything in your…condition.”

“That’s true, it's only at the city limits,” she laughed. “Kids from Sope Creek School still hang out there in their down time.”

“Lemme carry that up,” he insisted, taking the basket of clean clothes from her.

“Thanks. Having two men around is pretty cool,” she grinned.

He brought the basket in through the kitchen and she asked him to just put it on the coffee table so she could sort it while watching the TV.

Merle walked into the living room and was accosted by a blood curdling scream from the television. He thought she was watching a horror flick for a second but it was actually much worse.

“Holy shitballs!” he choked out.

“Shit! I’m so sorry,” she apologized.

She’d been watching a video about natural child birth and he’d walked in just in time for the really scary part.

“Uh…that’s alright,” he insisted but he was fully traumatized.

“I had a C-section with Sophia…my doctor wants me to try this way. I’ll play this on my computer next time,” she laughed.

“Hey, no…it’s…it’s all good,” he nodded, wiping his hand across his forehead.

“It scares the hell out of me too,” she admitted.

“You ladies should get a medal for goin’ through that kinda thing,” he joked. “Beats me how ya'll even survive that shit…I mean stuff.”

Carol laughed at his uncomfortable banter and turned off the TV.

“Can I ask you something terrible?” she broached.

“Yeah. Go right ahead.”

“Could you just watch Sophia today until Daryl gets home? Jacqui is busy today. He’ll be home at 5pm, so it’s just a few hours and she’ll probably just play outside anyway.”

“No problem,” he shrugged.

Sophia didn’t seem like she needed much care, she was very independent for her age.

“Maybe I could take her fishing,” he suggested.

“She would absolutely love that, Merle. Thanks so much. Daryl's old fishing gear is in the garage.”

/

Carol went off to work after making lunch for everyone and Merle found himself looking forward to fishing at the old spot.

Sope Creek was where he’d be spending time with Daryl in the next few days and the place he’d taught him to fish as a boy, it was full of memories.

“I’m going to catch the biggest fish you ever saw,” she squealed as they collected Daryl’s fishing gear from the garage.

“That’s the spirit,” he smiled.

Carol left her car for them to drive to the creek and got a ride with a work friend so he loaded up the trunk with all the things they’d need.

Sophia sat in the back of the car and he looked back at her in the rear view mirror.

“What you doin’ back there?” he asked.

“Mom said kids have to sit in the backseat cause the airbag will take my head off if the car crashes.”

“Jesus! Really? You learn something new everyday,” he laughed. “Good thing you know this stuff.”

Sophia giggled and he headed off to the same spot where he’d spent so many hours with Daryl. On the way he stopped at the corner store that sold bait and picked up two root beers and a bag of sunflower seeds, it was tradition.

It was a beautiful late summer day with whimsical puffy white clouds in the bright blue sky. The same tree stood where Daryl and Merle would meet but it looked smaller now that he was a man.

“Daryl's really never taken you before?” he asked, still in disbelief that Daryl wouldn’t have taught her when she obviously wanted to learn.

“No,” she answered, picking up a stick and whipping it against the tree trunk. “He doesn’t come to the creek, just mom does.”

Merle found it odd but figured he better get going with the lesson.

“So you have to take your worm and do it like this, OK?” he said, demonstrating to her how to bait the hook.

“Gross!” she squealed.

“Don’t like that, huh?” he laughed.

“No, I like gross stuff. Lemme try!”

Merle found it amusing that she had no problem with baiting a hook while Daryl had felt pity for the worms as a kid, he liked Sophia already.

She had the hook baited and then he showed her how to cast the line out into the water.

The spot where they always sat as kids had a slight overhang so the line went out a fair distance.

“What now?” she asked.

“Now, we wait and eat sunflower seeds and drink root beer,” he nodded, grabbing a handful of seeds and dumping them into his mouth.

Sophia held onto her pole then took off her socks to relax in the sun.

There was a long period of quiet between them and he just watched her. This is what childhood was supposed to be like: bedtime stories, hanging out with your uncle and a mom and dad who loved you. He was happy that she had all of these things, all children deserved this.

He knew that when he and Daryl came out here he’d have to talk about it, about everything that went wrong. Merle wanted to have family, he felt different already being around Daryl, Carol and Sophia. Maybe it’s only because they didn’t know about his real life: his drinking problem, his depression, or the court case pending against him. What would they think if they knew about all of that? Surely, Daryl wouldn’t want him near his wife or kids then. He didn't want them all to look at him differently. He didn't believe he and Andrea were going to be a thing, but he still loved how she smiled at him and the little flirtations.

‘Nice Uncle Merle’ felt like a lie to him, but it was a lie that made him feel so good inside that it was impossible to resist playing along.

 

 

 

 


	14. I Wanna See You There

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 14 – I Wanna See You There** _

By the time 4 pm rolled around Merle and Sophia had caught five fish, and she had told him all about her friends, her favorite games and about school.

She asked a lot of questions about Daryl when he was little and despite glossing over the bad parts Merle told her all he could.

He took her for ice cream before heading home and realized that only a few weeks ago a day like this would have been unthinkable.

"Thanks, Uncle Merle. This was the best day ever!" she smiled.

"It was nothing, little one. I'll fish with you anytime you want."

He told Sophia to go wash up before Daryl got home and she did just as he asked, she was very well behaved.

He poured himself a rum and coke and collapsed on the couch after a long afternoon in the sun.

Daryl arrived home not long after and ordered pizza for supper since Carol was still at work.

"Dad, Uncle Merle taught me to fish today! We cut them open and took out the guts, and it was so gross!"

Daryl laughed and sat down to hear all the details of their day.

They ate supper and everything was so normal, it all felt so ordinary already. Sophia was bouncing around talking a mile a minute, Daryl was groaning about work and how much his back hurt lately and Merle was listening, just enjoying being there.

"So I get the rest of the week off, it's been ages since I had time off. When do you have to be back in Tennessee?" Daryl asked.

"I got some time still," he answered vaguely.

Daryl seemed satisfied with the non-answer and just started going on about the trip to Sope Creek in the morning.

"We can just tent it like in the old days, hey?" Daryl said, stretching out on the couch.

"Actually, Andrea says we can stay in her camper cause she leaves it out there."

"That'll be cool; she's a doll. Come to think of it, sleeping on the ground probably wouldn't help my back."

_**/** _

Carol returned home from work and cuddled up to Daryl on the couch. Merle found himself wanting what they had; it looked nice to have someone to come home to.

"Can you read to me?" Sophia asked Merle as he was heading down to the basement for the evening.

Reading to his own niece was something he'd really miss if he got locked away, so he nodded with a smile.

"Sure."

He asked if they could read something else for a change and she acquiesced.

She pointed to her bookshelf, and he settled on Cinderella cause at least he knew the plot.

Sophia seemed to enjoy a new story and asked him if fairy godmothers could be a real thing.

"No, it's just a story, but uncles are real. If you need anything, then you can ask me for help or your mom or dad, OK?"

"OK," she grinned.

"Get under the covers," he said casually, pulling the purple quilt up to her chin.

"Goodnight," she yawned.

"Goodnight and God bless."

"Did you really blow the lights out when my dad was little?"

Merle felt as though he'd been struck by lightning, it had been years since he'd even thought of that ritual.

"I did…that was a long time ago."

"I like it when he does that."

Sophia snuggled down under the covers and yawned again.

Merle smiled and blew out the lights for her.

_**/** _

Merle wasn't feeling as much need to drink and went to bed that night with only one drink in his system. He lay in his bed feeling attached to his surroundings for once. Upstairs lay his brother and sister-in-law and a sweet little girl who called him Uncle Merle.

All around him was the sense that maybe life wasn't what he thought, that there was more to it than he ever imagined.

As he lay down in the bed, he found himself thinking of Andrea. She was so pretty and sweet that if he wasn't in so much trouble, he might actually try to make a move. He realized one thing for certain; casual relationships just left him feeling empty inside. He wanted more than that now, not that he knew how to go about getting it.

_**/** _

Merle was the first person up in the morning and went into the backyard to have a smoke and contemplate spending so much time with Daryl alone. It was all sure to surface, and he tried to think of what to tell him. By the letter he'd received, it was definitely on Daryl's mind. He wanted answers, and he deserved them, but it still wouldn't be easy.

When he came inside, Carol was making coffee and offered him a cup.

"Andrea says she's dropping off the keys to the camper in a few minutes, maybe you'd like to meet her out front?" she smiled.

"Yeah, sure."

Merle could detect the lilt in her voice and had the feeling that the attraction was noticed by others.

Merle went out to wait for Andrea and Carol grinned at the idea of them starting something.

"Are you playing matchmaker?" Daryl asked, slithering in behind her.

"Maybe. I really like him; I think Andrea does too."

"It's a shame he's living in Tennessee, but maybe he could move back here."

"You never know, he seems to be blending in really well. Sophia loves him."

Daryl wrapped her in his arms and kissed her neck.

"Are you two and Sophia gonna be OK without me for a couple of days?" he asked, referring again to her and the baby.

"You're only at Sope Creek, it's almost walking distance," she giggled.

"I'm protective, sue me," he teased.

_**/** _

Merle sat on the step waiting, and when Andrea's car pulled up, he couldn't help smiling. She got out of the car and sauntered toward him.

"Hey you!" she said, cheerily.

"Hey."

She pulled the keys from her pocket and handed them to Merle.

"It's stocked with some canned goods and general supplies from last time I was out there."

"It's really nice of you to do this," he said, looking at her face above him in the morning light.

"It'll be more comfortable than tenting, and it's there anyway so you may as well use it."

"Still…thank you," he smiled.

"It's nothing," she insisted. "If you'll be here a little longer, there's a town celebration coming up. You should come along."

"I could do that," he answered, his eyes drifting to hers but then being pulled down to her waist.

She was all kinds of sexy. Just a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt and she had him dying a little inside.

"It's small town fun at its finest," she grinned. "Fireworks, barbecue and silly fair games."

"Sounds OK to me...and you're going?"

"Yes."

The look on her face was nice and suggestive, and he smirked back. Merle wanted to take her some place private to explore her body for a weekend, but it was just a fantasy, he had to go back and face the music in Tennessee soon.

"I better say hello to Carol, but I'm holding you to this. I wanna see you there."

"I'll be there."

He wanted to test the water with her, but there wasn't much point if he couldn't stay. Still, he loved that she wanted to see him anywhere; it made him feel good. Merle found himself getting so comfortable that he knew he wouldn't want to leave. Marietta already held so many things he wanted and needed in his life, things he didn't realize he needed until recently. Merle needed to belong, needed to be loved and he wanted to give all of those things right back to the people around him.

"You ready?" Daryl asked, walking briskly past him to the truck.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Merle answered, standing up to follow him.

_**#####################** _

_**The next chapter is where Daryl and Merle have a proper talk:) Might post it tonight if everyone who's reading this has a chance to get to this chapter.** _

_**Thanks for reading. Teagan XOXO** _


	15. Under the Yellow Buckeye Tree

_** Estranged ** _

_**Chapter 15** _ _**–** _ _**Under the Yellow Buckeye Tree** _

Daryl loaded up his truck, and they drove out to the edge of town and into the woods that enveloped Sope Creek. It wasn't far from Sope Creek School that they'd both attended.

It was a place Daryl didn't go very often anymore, the whole place was haunted by memories of him and Merle. Everywhere he looked was a location where they had laughed, talked, fished, pissed on a tree; the woods held all his bittersweet memories.

Daryl pulled up at Andrea's camper, and they both began to unload things inside.

"What do you wanna do first?" Daryl asked.

"It's still early enough, we could try to hook some fish."

Daryl nodded and started to unpack some beer into the fridge and the food he'd brought along. Merle changed his shirt and Daryl looked at the scars on his back, he hadn't seen them in years. They still looked awful, similar to his own. Their old man loved to use a belt, a switch, sometimes an electrical cord.

"Sophia was so happy to go fishing with you," Daryl smiled.

"Maybe I can teach your new baby someday, could be like a tradition," he laughed.

"I sure hope so."

"Why wouldn't I?" Merle asked, taking a sip of his drink but he regretted saying it right away. Daryl was referring to his unexplained disappearance.

"No reason. That would be great, man."

The creek, the trees, and the very air waited for one of them to speak openly as soon as they arrived at Merle's spot. Right now was the time Daryl had prayed for, and he finally had the chance to ask. Still, it was difficult to put into words.

"Sure was nice of Andrea to lend us her camper," Daryl began.

"That ain't what you wanna talk about," Merle sighed. There was no time like the present, and he didn't want to wait any longer.

Daryl lit a smoke and rested his elbows on his raised open knees. He nodded and blew the smoke up into the treetops.

"No, it's not. I don't even know how to bring up what I wanna talk about."

"Just spit it out, Daryl, I deserve it."

Daryl leaned back against the tree and looked at his brother. A big part of him didn't even want to muddy the waters. For the most part, he just wanted him in his life, but he had to know why.

"Why did you leave me? I know why you left our house. I know why you always took off. But me….why did you leave me?"

His voice got steadily louder and more broken as he spoke, the pain inside wouldn't be restrained.

"And when you knew he was dead, why didn't you come back? What the hell did I do wrong?"

Merle knew it was coming and he'd tried to come up with the right words but still had nothing save for the cold hard truth.

"Daryl, I'm sorry I did that. There's almost nothing in my life I'm not sorry for, especially when it comes to you. The night that I left...I almost killed him and-"

"What?"

"I strangled the prick. I was bigger than him finally, and he just hit me one too many times. I choked him till he changed color but I couldn't stop. I never felt such rage in all my life, it scared the shit outta me."

Merle held his hand to his forehead, reliving the night in vivid detail. Some nights he could still hear the gurgling sound from the old man's throat.

"He went limp, and I swear I'd killed him. I didn't know what to do, I was terrified. I took off, but I didn't plan to stay away in the beginning. Only thing is I got to thinking I could go to jail for attempted murder or something if I came back."

Daryl was silent and stunned, he knew it was bad, but he'd never imagined this kind of thing happening.

"But after he died-"

"I thought you'd hate me for walking out, I was afraid to face you. You never should have looked up to me, Daryl. I'm such a coward underneath it all."

"I needed you, Merle."

"I know. I guess I figured you'd be OK since he didn't whip you the way he did with me...I know he was still an asshole to you, though. I really am sorry."

"What?" Daryl exclaimed.

Merle looked over at him, confused.

"What?"

"Did you just say…he didn't hit me?"

"He did?"

Daryl stood up then and paced along the bank, unable to stop moving. Merle stood up too and tried to get him to stand still for a second.

"Stop, Daryl! Talk to me!"

"You know every time you left he used me instead to take out all his frustration!"

Merle couldn't think of a single thing to say, but he knew that it was all true from the look on Daryl's face. Calm, sweet Daryl who rarely got upset was losing it in every way.

"He beat me senseless every time you left! How the hell didn't you know that?" he screamed.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Merle asked in a raised voice.

"I assumed you knew! Why the hell would he suddenly be all pleasant just cause you took off on one of your trips?"

"I don't know! I just never saw him beat you the way he beat me…you'd get the odd smack, but most of our friends got those."

Daryl realized then that Merle had no idea that they lived the same life at home, so he decided to show him. Reaching down, he pulled his shirt over his head and turned around to show him the truth.

"Fuck…" Merle whispered, reaching out to touch his skin. "I didn't know...I swear to God I didn't."

Daryl felt his brother's hand on his back, and he was aware that nothing was standing between them anymore. The truth was out there, and their father couldn't hurt them now.

"Daryl, I'm so sorry I failed you."

When Daryl turned around, Merle was walking away, and he lost his mind.

"Where the fuck are you going?" he growled.

"I don't know! I just…I'm not who you need for a brother, Daryl. I should have been there. I should have protected you!"

"So you're just gonna run away and leave me again?"

"I'm nothing to lose, Daryl. Look how good you did without me. I'm a fucking mess, and you got such a good life."

"What are you talking about? How are you a mess?"

"I got nobody, Daryl. I came back here to see if I could have a family cause in my own life...I've got fucking nothing."

"What?"

"I stayed away all this time cause I'm nothing for you to miss. I worked in a bar all this time, and my life is a mess. I can't even tell you all the things that are wrong with my life."

"Why not?"

"Look at your life. You got this beautiful wife and little girl and a baby coming; you're really somebody, Daryl."

"You're an idiot," Daryl sighed heavily.

"I know."

"You're my brother, Merle, I don't care about any of that…I love you for fuck sake!"

"Maybe you're the idiot."

Merle shook his head like Daryl must be delusional and reached for a smoke out of desperation, the tension was so damn high.

"Merle, you taught me to fish, you signed my report cards, made my lunches for school. You told me all about girls and showed me how to shave. I still remember all the good times. Losing you was like losing my dad…my real dad."

"Jesus…don't say that," Merle winced.

"It's true."

"I feel even worse now. I never thought it would mean so much to you that I wasn't there."

"That's crazy, Merle, of course, it did!"

"I spent most of my childhood hearing that I'm a useless piece of shit that nobody cares about…that stuff gets to you after a while. I believed it after all that time, I still do sometimes."

"I always cared about you."

"I know, brother. I was just young and stupid and lost. All this shit still gets to me; I'm still trying to run away from it."

Merle wanted to confess that he was drinking too much and for all the wrong reasons. He wanted to tell him that he was due in court soon but it was just too much, too fast.

"Stop running, Merle. You can let it go, and things will be better. Maybe you could talk to someone about it if you can't talk to me."

"Pfft! Like a shrink?"

"It's either that or you carry it with you forever. Don't let that bastard win, Merle. You can have more than you're settling for, I want that for you."

Merle sighed and looked him in the eye, he was right. Daryl had grown into a smart, good man with his head screwed on straight, and he'd been through all the same things Merle had.

Maybe there was hope.

"I'll look into it."

"Good. You can have all the things you want, you just have to know you deserve it."

"Do I, though?" he asked, looking genuinely curious.

"Yes."

Daryl put his t-shirt back on and sighed, walking toward him. He didn't wait for a hug this time, he just seized the moment.

"I'm really s-"

"I know, and I forgive you," Daryl stopped him.

When the hug was over, and it was a long one, Merle sat down under the Yellow Buckeye tree and started to bait his hook. Daryl watched him as he moved and smiled at how strange life was. No matter his flaws, Merle was still his brother, still his hero, and he always would be.


	16. A Thing of Beauty

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 16 – A Thing of Beauty** _

Daryl didn't want to pry and push Merle away. He really didn't care about the past anymore; his mind was on the future.

It was evident that Merle was in pain and hadn't fared as well as he had, but that didn't matter to him. Merle was drinking a lot, and it was obvious to Daryl that he was self-medicating. Maybe that's what he didn't want to admit. Daryl assumed he would tell him in time and until then he just wanted to be brothers again.

"Hey," he began, nudging Merle's leg.

"What?"

"Sophia was more of a man about fishing than I was, I bet."

Merle chuckled and nodded his head.

"That girl loves to gut fish," he laughed.

"I was a softy as a kid, way too sensitive for my own damn good," Daryl scoffed.

Merle stayed silent for a moment and cracked another beer as he cast his line into the creek.

"You were a sweet kid. You just didn't want to hurt anyone or anything… there's nothing wrong with that."

Daryl smiled to himself; Merle always seemed to say what he needed to hear.

They spent the rest of the morning fishing and talking about the kinds of things men talk about.

Merle felt close to him again and although he'd been wrong for years about Daryl's abuse he didn't seem to be mad at all. Letting things go was freeing. Merle was coming to realize that the past would always be what it was, but carrying it with him was a choice, and it was the wrong choice.

Maybe he could speak to someone about his problems, but he didn't know who.

The idea of being sent to prison now was even more terrifying. He had nothing to lose before but now he had so much. He wanted to move back and be part of Daryl's family, but it would mean staying free, and he didn't know how to pull it off. The cops who arrested him seemed pretty determined to take him down, and all he had was his court assigned legal counsel, it felt hopeless.

_**/** _

Andrea and Carol spent the day hanging out in the backyard watching Sophia and Ben enjoy the end of summer.

Andrea worked on her laptop as she chatted and Carol pried a little into her head.

"So?"

"So what?"

"What's this with you and Merle?" she pressed.

"He's a seriously good-looking guy," she grinned, not looking at Carol's face.

"And?"

"And he lives in Tennessee."

"It doesn't sound like he has a lot keeping him there. I hope he'll consider moving here to be around for Daryl and Sophia. I wouldn't mind having a brother-in-law in my life too."

"That would be cool, he's very sweet with Sophia," Andrea mused. "He's such a big guy, and he's got that rough sounding voice, and I swear, seeing him reading her that book drove me crazy. It was too cute. He seems like such a genuine person, and that's really rare these days."

"You got it bad," Carol giggled.

"I shouldn't say this cause he's your brother-in-law, but he just might have featured in my spank bank already."

"Andrea!"

"I know, I'm awful," she laughed. "So how's the baby?" Andrea rolled her eyes, changing the subject.

"So good. This baby is easy-peasy. Sophia was way more difficult, but obviously, she was so worth it."

"She was a little firecracker from the start then," Andrea added.

"Definitely."

Carol watched the kids playing and then got a text from Daryl asking if his hunting knife was in the basement.

_**~ I have no idea, I'll look** _

_**~ If it's there I can come back to grab it** _

Andrea asked what the problem was and Carol filled her in.

"Tell him I can bring it over, it's only a few minute's drive."

"Thanks."

Carol texted Daryl about the plan and thanked Andrea for volunteering although she had a good idea why she had.

_**~ We'll look for it and Andrea will bring it over if we find it. It's in the basement, right?** _

_**~ Yeah, should be in the bin under Merle's bed.** _

_**~ Got it.** _

Carol asked Andrea to watch the kids while she looked for the knife and Andrea insisted she rest her feet.

"You stay sitting, Mama. I'll get it."

"It's under Merle's bed."

Andrea headed into the house and down the stairs to Merle's bedroom.

She found herself feeling a little covert and took a moment to pick up his coat from the back of a chair and smelled it.

It smelled like cologne that was vaguely familiar and she smiled.

She decided to get to her task and bent down to look under the bed for the hunting knife.

She pulled out a plastic bin with Daryl's hunting gear and started to sift through it. Eventually, she came upon the sheath and pulled out the knife. She was pushing the bin back under the bed when her eyes caught a piece of paper sticking out between the mattress and box spring, so she instinctively pulled it out.

Within a few minutes, Andrea had a clear idea of what was happening with Merle. The court documents were saying he had to be back in court very soon to face charges and also AA pamphlets. He was having pretty serious troubles; that was clear.

To Andrea, he seemed very sweet and well intentioned, but she also felt scared for Daryl. She didn't want to see him get hurt.

It was entirely possible that he'd discussed this with Daryl and Carol but then why was it hidden under that mattress?

Andrea decided she had to talk to him about it; maybe she could help.

She took the knife upstairs and out to the backyard and said she'd drive it over to Sope Creek.

"You're a doll, thanks," Carol smiled.

"It's nothing. You take it easy."

She got in her car and headed to the creek through the winding roads enveloped in trees to the location of her camper.

The fire pit outside was going, and she couldn't see Daryl anywhere, only Merle. He was chopping wood with an ax in only his jeans and her gaze spilled all over his chest, arms and back. Even from the distance she was at she could see the marks. She'd heard about the scars from Carol and had seen them on Daryl's back when they had taken Sophia to the beach once. It made her angry to think that anyone could hurt a child this way. Merle's scars were deeper, and there were more of them, but any scar on a human body from abuse looked ugly. Andrea really thought for a moment about what they'd both been through, and it hurt her heart to think anyone could be this way to a person like Merle. She didn't know him well, but it was obvious to her that he had a gentle spirit and a kind heart.

He turned as she parked up about 20 feet away and smiled at her through the windshield.

Andrea grabbed the knife and stepped out of the car.

"I didn't leave wood chopped, it just attracts mice," she explained, handing him the blade.

"It's fine," he grinned, wiping sweat from his brow. "It's a good workout."

"Where's Daryl?"

"Collecting some more kindling. He should be right back if you need him."

"No, just curious. So, how's it going between you?" she asked, leaning against the camper.

"It's OK. We had a long talk and worked some stuff out."

"That's good; it's always better when everything is out in the open."

He nodded, but she had an instinct screaming to her that he still hadn't told Daryl everything.

"I was wondering," she began, still staring at his strong body and trying not to be obvious about her thoughts. "Did you maybe want to go for a drink when you guys are done out here?"

Merle was wiping his hands on the ass of his jeans and looked at her, a little stunned.

"Sure, yeah I'd like that. We'll be back Friday, I think."

"Great! I'll pick you up since you don't have a car here. 8 pm OK?"

"OK."

It was partially that she just needed to speak to him alone but also that she was interested in him. He looked like he was taking it as a date and that was OK with her, she was certainly attracted to him. It wasn't a good time, in her opinion, to start anything with him but that didn't mean they couldn't get to know each other better. Merle needed to get some things under control, and she wanted to see if she could help.

"Good. Well, you boys behave yourselves out here," she joked.

"We will," he grinned.

She watched as he bent down to pick up a new log to chop, she tried not to stare at his ass but was unsuccessful. As much as she liked the idea of getting up close and personal with him, he was in some hot water, and he'd need to deal with that first. Still, his ass was a thing of beauty.

_**#############################################** _

_**If you happened to read 'Marital Bliss' you'll know my man had a vasectomy today and I've been taking care of him like he's my patient so this is a little late. Sorry:)** _

_**We had to drive 2 hours there and back and the appointment was an hour and a** **half** **late and it was SCARY as hell to watch. LOL**_

_**Anyhoo. Thanks for reading:) love ya. Teagan XO** _


	17. I Missed You

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 17 – I Missed You** _

On Thursday evening Merle and Daryl pulled up a spot around the fire to eat the fish they'd caught. The trip had brought them closer to each other, and Merle felt peace in that.

It was all long talks about the good times they'd had as kids, people they'd known and girls they'd liked. He respected the man his brother had become. The past hadn't ruined what Daryl had been all those years ago. He was still a kind-hearted person who saw the best in everyone.

Daryl had just spoken to Carol on the phone, and she was doing fine. Sophia had to hear his voice before bed, she wanted her 'I love you.'

Daryl handed Merle a beer and a paper plate with a fish on it, and they tucked into their dinner as the stars came out.

Daryl looked over at him and smiled.

"I'm glad you came back."

It was weighing on Merle's mind that his court case could screw all this up and it pissed him off. He had something he didn't want to lose now.

"I'm glad I came back too."

"It could be like this all the time now, right?"

"Yeah," Merle agreed, although he had no idea what the future held.

The silences said as much as the words and he knew that Daryl could feel it too, it was all coming back.

They ate around the fire, smoked and drank and everything felt as it should.

Merle hoped and prayed he'd be able to get off on the charges he was facing and move back to Marietta.

Daryl brought the conversation around to women cause he wanted to get a read on whatever was happening between Merle and Andrea.

"So, am I right in thinking you're into Andrea?" he slid casually into the chat.

"I forgot to even mention it, but she asked me out for a drink on Friday. Is that crazy or what?" he chuckled.

"I knew there was something there," Daryl nodded.

"She's a lawyer, though. I don't know what the hell I could even talk to her about."

"She's really cool, just talk to her about anything that comes up. She's into 70s rock, she plays softball, she loves animals."

"Thanks, I need somewhere to start from."

"You think you might wanna move back if nothing is keeping you in Tennessee?"

"I'm thinking about it. I just gotta tie up some loose ends back there pretty quick and then who knows?"

Daryl seemed satisfied with his answer, and they spent the rest of the evening just hanging out and playing the stereo in the camper.

By the time Daryl crashed, Merle was determined to figure something out. He wanted this life now.

He watched his brother sleep for a while and finished a few more beer. Merle knew he was a different man around his new family; he was an uncle and a brother in law. If he could shake off the shackles in Tennessee, then he had a real shot at something good.

He remembered staring out the front window of his bachelor pad at The Back Country Bar, feeling stuck and sinking. There was more out there for him if only he could get out of this jam.

He contemplated not going back. Would they really chase him over a simple assault charge? Would he have to look over his shoulder forever? Maybe he could try to disappear in the eyes of the law.

_**/** _

"So, how was it?" Carol asked on Friday afternoon when Merle and Daryl got home.

She had pulled Daryl into their room to be alone for a moment and get the full story.

Merle stayed in the backyard to watch Sophia.

"It was so good. Things aren't how I thought they were…it was much more complicated."

"How?" she inquired, laying down on the bed to relieve her back.

"He didn't know that our dad was whipping me too."

"How could he not know that? The scars on your back are pretty noticeable."

"He never saw them. I never really put it together, but our dad always took shit out on me when Merle ran away. When Merle was home he always beat him instead; I just assumed he knew about it."

"That's crazy. So you talked it all out then? Why didn't he come back after your dad died?"

"He was scared that I was pissed off. He says he almost killed our dad the night he took off and he was afraid of being arrested too. Basically, the whole thing was just a big mess and misunderstandings."

"I guess it doesn't matter now anyway."

"It really doesn't, I'm just glad to have him back."

Daryl approached her on the bed and lay down next to her. Carol wrapped her arm around his shoulder and kissed his forehead.

Daryl loved her pregnant belly already; he found her new shape sexy as hell.

He ran his hand up and down her belly and lay his head against her chest.

"I never would have had the guts to write to him without you…thanks for that."

"Of course, that's what I'm here for. We're partners."

"That's right. Partners for life."

Daryl pulled her under him and slid his hand up her sundress to feel her soft thighs.

"I missed you so bad," he said in a hushed voice.

"Daryl it's 3 pm…we can't…"

He ignored her logic and pulled the thin strap of her dress off her shoulder to taste her skin and coerce her into it.

"We can be fast…Merle is with Sophia…" he reasoned.

Carol couldn't argue with that logic and slid her panties down her legs, admitting to herself how badly she needed it as well.

Daryl got up onto his knees and looked down at her in a predatory way that she loved.

"Take me, my man…"

He crept his hands up her thighs and slid her dress up over her breasts, delighted to discover that she had no bra on. Carol was living in sundresses since her belly had gotten a little rounder and he loved it. He could sneak a little teasing in randomly by pinning her to the wall and getting his hands under her dress.

He took her breasts and made her start to pant from his expertise then kissed down to her belly. The idea that his child was inside her still blew his mind and made him even crazier for her. This child was another tie that bound them together, along with Sophia. Carol was his.

He got her whining and writhing under him, but there wasn't an excess of time. He teased her with his fingers until she was good and wet before releasing his cock and giving her the sensation she needed most.

"Oh damn! That's right, baby."

He held her head in the crook of his arm and leaned his head into the side of her neck.

"I love you, Carol…so much."

Nothing beat the genuine, real love they shared. There was nothing flashy or dramatic about their life, but they didn't need it. All they needed was each other. The drama and turmoil they'd grown up with weren't welcome in their new life.

He thrust harder and harder into her and kissed her face and neck, desperate to get to where they were both headed.

She rolled him onto his back unexpectedly and rode him slow with her body pressed against his. He held her breasts to his mouth as she began to come apart. He could feel it erupting within her, and it was heaven.

"Come on….you're there, I can feel it…" he growled.

Carol came undone and dropped her head to his chest as it surrounded her…every nerve alight and burning so sweetly.

They finished up with her leaning over the bed, calling out his name as he released his demons into her.

Daryl never wanted anything but the quiet, peaceful and straightforward life he shared with Carol, she was everything to him.

_**/** _

"Where's mom?" Sophia asked, handing Merle her skip rope to untangle a knot.

"I think your mom and dad are just saying hello. They probably missed each other."

"You're not married, Uncle Merle?"

"Nope."

"If you did get married then I'd have an Auntie."

"That's right; you would," he conceded her point with a chuckle, feeling pressured into marriage by a 6-year-old.

"You should get married then," she concluded.

"I don't even have a girlfriend, little one, but I'll try. OK?"

"If you had kids then I'd have cousins too!" Sophia realized.

"Lemme work on a wife first!" he laughed.

"OK."

Merle's mind drifted to 8 pm when Andrea would be picking him up, and he felt excited to be alone with her. She was just the kind of woman he had no business with, but common sense had never stopped him before when it came to women.

_**#############################** _

_**A little more drama next chapter:) Andrea is gonna get the truth out of Merle:)** _

_**Thanks for reading.** _


	18. Magnet & Steel

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 18 – Magnet & Steel** _

Merle came back inside when he figured Daryl and Carol were done getting 'reacquainted.' He had a quick supper with the family and then excused himself to go downstairs and get ready to go out.

Carol wandered down after she heard the shower turn off, she couldn't resist catching a peek at Merle getting ready.

"Need anything?" she asked innocently as he was racing around the basement with a towel around his waist.

"I can't go out in jeans, can I?"

"Sure you can, she'll probably just wanna go to the bar. She has a fancy job, but she's a down home girl, trust me. She just likes normal blue-collar guys."

Merle took a deep breath and realized how nervous he was.

"Did she tell you why she even asked me out?" he inquired.

"She must like you. You don't need to be nervous; she's really cool."

It was insane to pursue this when his life was still in turmoil, but she was just so damned pretty he couldn't resist a chance to be alone with her.

"Is there anything you need?" Carol asked, hoping to ease his anxiety.

"Does Daryl have some cologne…maybe a dress shirt?"

"You got it, just gimme a second."

"Thanks, Carol," he smiled, touching her shoulder.

"Hey, we're family. I'm happy to help."

Little things like this were making him feel like his heart was about to explode all over the room. In the last ten years, he didn't have friendly encouraging chats with family members, Christmas dinners or anything he really needed. He had Axel, and he was grateful for that, but it wasn't quite the same.

By the time Andrea knocked at the door, he was starting to sweat through his shirt and felt like an idiot.

She was wearing a red dress and had her hair up in a high ponytail; she looked stunning.

"Wow! You look gorgeous," he blurted.

_**Way to go! Just show her all your cards, ya dope!** _

She smiled and told him he looked great too and after saying goodnight to Daryl, Carol and Sophia he was heading out to her car with her.

"I bet you and Daryl had fun on your boy's trip," she began when they got seated in the car.

"I never thought I'd ever go fishing with him again at Sope Creek. It was great."

"I'm so glad. This means so much to Daryl."

He felt something funny like he couldn't read her motivations, but he just rolled with it.

The bar she chose was very casual, and they settled into a booth where he immediately ordered a beer and asked her what she wanted. He still had enough of his meager savings to pay for a night out with her, and he thanked his lucky stars.

The jukebox was playing The Beatles and she smiled and nodded her head to the beat.

"Do you like The Beatles?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm a Lennon fan."

"Me too, he was the master."

Merle smiled and asked her what her favorite song was.

"I'm a total sucker for 'You've got to hide your love away,'" she said, taking a sip of her wine.

"That's a good one," he agreed.

"What about you?"

"I always liked 'Woman' by John Lennon," he answered.

Over the next twenty minutes, they discussed all kinds of music and he felt more and more comfortable with her. Andrea really was a casual woman, even if she was out of his league.

"I'm so happy you came down to see Daryl. Carol says he's always wanted to reconnect with you."

Merle still felt guilty about hurting Daryl; he was going to make it up to him somehow, as soon as he could.

"I never meant for it to go the way it did," he began.

"Merle, I'm not here to take your stock about it. I'm really just happy he has you back that's all," she insisted.

Merle nodded and felt a little better.

A local band started to play, and Andrea asked if he liked live music.

"Yeah, we had bands play at the bar in Tennessee sometimes."

"This band is really good; I've seen them play here before."

Merle looked over at the band, and they were playing 'Dreams' by Fleetwood Mac.

"I've never heard this song as a cover; they're not bad at all."

The lead singer really sounded like Stevie Nicks; he was impressed.

"So how are things back in Tennessee?"

Merle had a feeling that she was seeking certain information.

"It's not great, but it never has been."

Her eyes told him he was found out; he couldn't pinpoint it, but somehow he just knew that she knew.

"I'm...actually in a little trouble," he admitted.

"Merle, you can tell me about this if you want to."

He looked around the bar as the band began to play another song, this time it was 'Two out of three ain't bad' by Meatloaf, it felt appropriate.

"I can't tell Daryl about this."

"Merle, tell me."

"He can't know about this stuff," Merle repeated.

"I won't say anything."

"I have charges against me in Tennessee…I got into a fight at work. I was trying to protect this woman, and the whole thing blew up in my face."

"You really shouldn't have left the state, Merle."

"I know. I just got that letter from Daryl, and then I got fired from my job for getting into trouble with the law and lost my apartment…I had nowhere to go."

Merle knew that he'd blown it with her completely and that the whole purpose of asking him out had been to get information out of him. She had figured it all out, but he had no idea how.

"How did you know?" he asked, just wanting to be let in on the truth.

"I came across your paperwork under your mattress while I was looking for the knife."

Merle felt like a moron to think it had really been a date and shook his head.

"Damn it," he sighed.

"Merle, I want you to do something for me," Andrea said, reaching her hand across the table to touch his.

"What?" he asked, looking defeated.

Was she going to tell him to leave again before Daryl realized he was trouble? Tell him to stay the hell away from Sophia? Advise him to behave himself and not hurt Daryl or his family?

"I want you to tell me everything you can remember about that night, every single detail."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to help you, but you need to get your ass back to Tennessee in the next couple of days."

"Why?"

"Because I can only make a case for you if nobody realized you left the state."

"Why would you help me?"

"Daryl and Carol are my best friends, and I want you to be part of their lives. I saw you reading to Sophia, Merle. I know you're the real deal."

"I'm not here to hurt anyone…I just didn't know what else to do. I never thought Daryl would want to speak to me again, so I had to come before he changed his mind."

"Tell me everything you remember and I'll do anything I can to help you."

"I don't have a penny to my name. I have nothing to offer you for this kind of help."

"That's fine, cause I'm not asking for anything."

Merle spilled his guts about the details of that night. It took an hour to get through the whole thing, and she listened intently, recording what he said on her phone.

"You said the alley to the bar was across from a bank?" she checked.

"Yeah, is that important?"

"It might be…"

She grinned then and reached for him again across the table but this time she grabbed him and pulled him up.

"Come dance with me! I love this song!" she exclaimed.

He obeyed happily, just thrilled that she still wanted to be seen with him. She led him out to the dance floor and pulled him close for a slow song that he recognized from his younger days.

Andrea smiled and leaned into him as he lay his hands on her waist. She had confounded him entirely by peeling back the layers of deceit, offering to help him and then accepting him at face value. Nobody ever exposed him so well, laid him so bare and then pulled him so close before…it scared him.

_**Now I've told you so you ought to know** _

_**Takes some time for our feelings to grow** _

_**You're so close now I can't let you go** _

_**And I can't let go** _

_**(With you I'm not shy) to show the way I feel** _

_**(With you I might try) my secrets to reveal** _

_**For you are a magnet and I am steel** _

_**For you are a magnet and I am steel** _

_**I can't hope that I'll hold you for long** _

_**You're a woman who's lost in her song** _

_**But the love that I feel is so strong** _

_**It can't be wrong** _

_**(With you I'm not shy) to show the way I feel** _

_**(With you I might try) my secrets to reveal** _

_**For you are a magnet and I am steel…** _

He held her close and moved only a little to the song as she closed her eyes and moved along with him. Merle had never felt so vulnerable and yet so accepted before. Andrea was a new kind of woman he didn't know existed.

The sensation of her body so close to his and the scent of her hair next to his hungry mouth was torture. She said she'd keep his secret and help him, but he wondered how that could happen if she was telling him to get his ass home.

"How can you help me from here?" he asked in the middle of the dance.

"I'll come down to Chattanooga. I only ask one thing of you in return."

"Anything," he answered, honestly.

"Don't lie to me about anything, no matter how small, and promise me you'll get help for your drinking. You deserve to get better."

Merle released his hold on her and took a half step back, feeling ashamed. This woman knew all his secrets; apparently, she'd seen the AA pamphlets as well.

"Merle, it's OK," she insisted, reaching for him.

"This has gotta be the worst date ever…" he uttered before thinking better of it. "It was never a date, though, was it? You just wanted me alone to discuss all of this."

He felt so stupid he could hardly contain it, so he walked back to the table to throw some money down before leaving. He needed to get out of there; he could barely look at her.

"Merle, stop! If you run from this you'll lose it all," she said, taking hold of his upper arm firmly. "I wouldn't offer to help you if I didn't like you. I don't have five free minutes to myself half the time, but I can help you with this. You need to let me in and trust me…please."

"I'm sorry…" he sighed. "I'm just really embarrassed."

"I know I just threw this at you, and I'm sorry for that, but you don't have time to play around. If the state finds out you left Tennessee it won't look good for you. I know how to help you, but you need to let me in and you need to stop running."

"I want to be with my family, Andrea. I'll do anything you say."

"You need to get back to Tennessee and find a residence. You need to become employed and show up in court on time."

"I will."

"I'll be there a few days before the proceedings to lay out the plan for you, OK?"

"Andrea...I don't know if I can stop."

He wanted to stop drinking, but it seemed like a lofty goal to him at that moment.

"There's help out there for this, and I'm going to be part of that help. You just need to believe that you can and that you're worth the effort, even if it hurts. If it means anything to you...I know you're worth it, Merle."

"That means more to me than you know."

"So, let's just drop all of that for now and have a good time tonight….deal?" she winked.

"Deal."

Andrea wasn't like anyone else he'd ever met. She made him feel nervous, terrified, excited, aroused and hopeful; he wondered if that's kinda what love felt like.

_**################################** _

_**Merle and Andrea have a couple of hiccups but she likes him very much and he likes her. The hiccups are just a result of him needing to get his business dealt with and I hope people feel it adds to the tension before things get fun;) (I'm a sucker for a little angst before nooky, I can't help it.)** _

_**Thanks for reading, always very appreciated. Teagan xo** _


	19. The Talisman

_**Estranged Chapter** _

_**Chapter 19 - The Talisman** _

Andrea kept Merle out dancing and having a laugh until past midnight. Soon he was having such a good time he forgot about feeling stupid. She wasn't holding it against him and for the first time since it happened he felt hopeful. The 'crime' didn't define him with her.

She drove him back to Daryl's house, and he didn't suspect he'd be getting a kiss but he still felt good about everything. With her help, he had a shot at getting his life back.

"I had a really good time, Merle."

"Me too. Thanks for everything."

She wrote her number down and handed it to him.

"I'll go back on Sunday, I think," he said. "I bet nobody even noticed I'm gone."

"Tomorrow is the town fair, and I wanna see you there. I'll definitely notice if you don't show," she smiled.

"OK," he answered, opening the door to her car.

"Merle, I'm going to do everything I can."

"I won't be able to pay you back," he shrugged. "At least not right away."

"My help doesn't come with strings attached. I only want you to get the help you need. I can see who you really are, Merle, and I know you can do this. You're a good man."

She leaned in before he got out of the car and wrapped an arm around his back. Her hair brushed his face, and he touched her elbow, unsure where to put his hands. It was an awkward hug, but it still made his blood burn through his veins; she smelled sultry, and her skin was so smooth.

"Goodnight, Merle."

"You don't know what this means to me, Andrea," he said, looking over at her sweet, smiling face. "Thank you."

"You're more than welcome."

He tiptoed into the house, and to his surprise, Daryl was still up and sitting in the kitchen.

"Sorry for coming in so late," he said. "What are you still doing up?"

"Carol couldn't sleep; she had bad heartburn, so I had to run to the pharmacy for medicine."

"Poor thing. She alright now?"

"Yeah, she just drifted off a little while ago."

Merle sat down across the table from Daryl and he wanted to tell him everything but he couldn't.

"I have to go back to Tennessee on Sunday just to sort some things out," he began.

"Is everything OK?" Daryl asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah, it's all fine. It's just work shit. I wanna move here, though, so I can be around you and your family."

"That would be awesome," Daryl smiled. "Sophia is crazy about you."

"She's a sweetheart," he said, thinking about her fishing by the creek. She was an incredible girl, and she wanted more family, just like he did.

"We gotta stay in touch till you can move here, though, OK?" Daryl pressed.

"We will. It's all gonna be good now."

Merle hoped he wasn't selling Daryl a pack of lies, but he just wanted to deal with his issues privately if he could. Daryl, saying he was like a dad to him, hit him hard and made the gravity of him leaving more than clear. Daryl had enough going on with a pregnant wife and a child to be worrying about his problems.

_**/** _

Merle sat in his room that night with a beer in his hand, thinking about what Andrea said.

He'd taken the beer from the fridge simply by habit. Maybe he could stop drinking and face his demons since he wasn't doing it alone now, just maybe.

He kept thinking of all the things his dad would say to him and it was no wonder he stopped caring about himself. Growing up, Merle thought Daryl was the weaker one who needed to be protected, but Daryl had survived all the same things Merle had and still succeeded in life. Merle could see he had a lot to learn from his kid brother. Daryl was the strong one.

He decided to set the beer on the dresser and just stared at it. The condensation on the bottle looked alluring, and every cell in his body was trying to persuade him to pick it back up.

**What if I could leave it there till morning?**

It was a random little rhetorical question aimed at himself, but his immediate cocky response was.

**Of course, I fucking can!**

He didn't even really believe it, but he turned off the light and lay back on the bed thinking of the condensation on the bottle. He wanted it, but the idea of testing himself was like a game he couldn't resist.

Very quickly the condensation on the bottle morphed into the mental image of beads of sweat on Andrea's skin.

Hot sun, an open road, and a bright blue sky filled with the kind of clouds that children draw. He pictured them together and free, pulling a car over to the side of a desolate road to make love.

He'd reach out his hand, and he wouldn't even have to pull her, she'd just come to him. She'd fall into his arms and give him a little smile before she kissed him, telling him she couldn't wait any longer to be his.

Merle wanted this fantasy to come true, outlandish as it was. He wanted to take her beautiful face in his hands and kiss her hard. To have her on his lap, desperate for him. He could hear her imaginary voice in his mind telling him that she wanted him, that she needed only him. His fantasies were so unrealistic that it was painful but still, the thought of her sweaty skin against his tongue was so delicious.

He pulled the blanket over his body in the dark and touched himself, wishing it was her, wishing that she would want to touch him.

In only a matter of minutes, his mind had constructed a scenario of her riding him with abandon and wrapping her arms around his neck. She was whispering into his ear how good it felt, and he moaned under his breath. Merle jerked off and tried to keep his panting soft even though everyone was long asleep. Even doing this in a house with a child felt wrong but he was only human.

He could almost feel her soft skin against his hands and smell her hair, and just when he thought of her smile, he let it go. He came hard, with a vision of her beautiful face in his mind.

His breath was ragged for a moment as he looked up at the ceiling in the dark, liking her this much was tricky.

Still, he replayed what she'd said to him, and it made him smile.

_**There's help out there for this, and I'm going to be part of that help. You just need to believe that you can and that you're worth the effort, even if it hurts. If it means anything to you...I know you're worth it, Merle.** _

_**/** _

Merle woke up late; he was exhausted from too many thoughts swirling in his mind and the prospect of going back to Tennessee.

He looked over at the bottle of beer on the dresser and frowned, without the condensation, it looked less appealing. It was piss warm and plain looking, and he didn't want it at that moment.

"Fuck you," he groaned, rolling over in the bed away from it to stretch and yawn. "I don't even want ya….stupid beer."

He was startled by Sophia's voice only moments later and hoped nobody heard him bitching out a bottle of beer like a lunatic.

"Uncle Merle!" Sophia hollered from the top of the stairs.

"What?" he yelled back.

"I made breakfast all by myself. Come eat!"

He liked how forward she was, this kind of moxie in a 6-year-old girl was amusing, and he admired it. The world wasn't about to push around his little niece; she'd be running the show.

Merle got dressed and headed up the stairs for his last full day with his family. Sophia was standing next to the table with a huge grin.

"Sorry, I did ask her to go downstairs and ask you politely," Carol grinned, giving Sophia a stern look. "We don't scream at guests from the top of the stairs, honey."

Merle looked at the toaster waffles, strawberries and whipped cream on his plate and smiled.

"You did this all by yourself?" he asked.

"Yep!" she insisted.

"You can yell at me all you like, little one. This looks delicious!"

Merle spent the early morning hanging out with Daryl and company, and everyone went on about the midsummer fair in town and the fireworks. There was going to be fair games, contests for baking and local bands playing. It was sure to be a great afternoon and evening. Best of all, Andrea would be there.

Daryl asked if he'd come along with some buddies from work and help set up,

"Sure thing, brother."

Merle had to get back to living in Marietta; he just had to. He felt alive there…like he belonged.


	20. Jumping the Gun

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 20 – Jumping the Gun** _

Daryl and Merle went over to the baseball diamond/football field where the festivities were to be held and helped set up. Daryl and his work buddies were always part of doing the heavy lifting and Merle was more than happy to help out.

They spent the morning in the sun pitching tents, setting up chairs and tables and doing general dogsbody jobs.

By noon it was all set up and people began arriving. Merle was just in his jeans and a black t-shirt and felt comfortable with himself for a change.

As Daryl sat back with Carol and Sophia on a blanket and cracked a beer, Merle thought again of the one on his dresser in the basement.

"Grab a cold one, man!" Daryl insisted, but then Merle had another strange voice speak to him in his mind.

_**What if you didn't have one?** _

"I'm good. I'm gonna grab a lemonade instead. You two want one?" he asked, nodding to Sophia and Carol.

Sophia jumped up and walked over to the concession with him and it felt like a tiny little victory. It was only one time to turn it down but maybe he could do it again.

Merle bought three lemonades and thankfully he still had enough for his bus ticket back to Tennessee.

An hour later Andrea found them among the growing crowd of people, and she looked good.

Merle loved the casual denim cut-offs and peasant top she had on, she looked so pretty. She didn't appear to have a drop of makeup on and her hair was down and flowing in the breeze. Andrea didn't need to try at all to be beautiful in his eyes.

A band began to play and she came to sit next to him as Sophia ran around with Ben. The band was good, the lemonade was ice cold and Andrea looked like a dream. He really didn't need a drink in that moment, he was content.

It was starting to become crystal clear that the reason he drank so much was loneliness, low self-image and pent up anger from the past. There had to be a way out of it and maybe Andrea was right, he needed to seek help.

"Are you going to win me a bear?" Andrea asked, pointing over to the fair games.

There were a series of games to raise money for town charities, and he nodded, hoping like hell he was still a good shot.

"I could give it a try," he answered, finishing the lemonade in one gulp. "Damn, this is good!"

"Come on," she smiled, getting to her feet and reaching down to take his hands. "I'm just stealing him for a little bit," she nodded to Daryl, Carol and Jacquie.

_**/** _

"What's going on there?" Jacquie asked when they were out of earshot.

"I'm thinking they like each other," Carol smiled, leaning back on her elbows with her legs outstretched.

"That would be too cute, wouldn't it? To have your best friend as your sister in law," Jacquie grinned.

"I'm not sure Andrea is the marrying type and they only just met but who knows," Carol laughed.

"I'm a hopeless romantic, never mind me," Jacquie giggled.

"I love that about you though. You're way more fun to watch a chick flick with than she is."

"That's true. Andrea never cries and that's no fun."

_**/** _

Andrea walked beside Merle down the row of fair games and sipped the lemonade he bought her.

"Are you OK?" she asked.

"I am actually…I feel hopeful."

"I need you to do something for me as soon as you get back."

"Sure. What do you need?"

"I need you to get me the name and number of your court appointed lawyer cause I need to review all the documents."

"I can do that," he said, stopping at a shooting game and handing over a $5 bill.

"Are you a good shot?" she asked.

He looked down at her as he picked up the air rifle.

"Yes," he answered simply, praying he hadn't lost his touch.

Stone cold sober and feeling calm, he figured he had a good chance at impressing her.

She leaned in as he raised the rifle to his eye and whispered in his ear, "You got this."

A little smile crossed his lips, and he lined up his aim with the target and squeezed the trigger.

Ten minutes later and another ten dollars down the drain he'd won her the biggest panda they had.

"My hero," she grinned. "You really are a good shot!"

_**/** _

When evening began to fall, they all dug into the BBQ and Daryl was fawning over Carol as Merle and Andrea joined forces with Jacquie to wrangle the kids.

Merle thought back to his life in Tennessee and it was the last place he wanted to go but it was the only way he'd have a shot of coming back a free man.

Running away wasn't the answer to anything, it only ever led to problems and he didn't need that anymore.

When the sky began to darken, Andrea said she needed to get going to finish some paperwork before court in the morning.

Merle walked Andrea back to her car and thanked her for not telling Daryl about his problems with the law.

"I still think you should tell him, Merle."

"I can't do that...not right now."

"He'll understand. I did."

"He still sees the me that I was back when we were kids. I was a better person then; he'll be disappointed if he knows the truth."

"Daryl isn't like that."

"I can't handle letting him down right now, just please don't tell him."

"I won't."

The fireworks started and she turned to look up at the night sky. Merle watched the explosions lighting up her hair in red, blue and gold and he felt something that was stronger than his common sense.

Before he could stop himself, he reached out his hand and touched her hair making her jump.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out. "It was a bug...I...there was a bug in your hair."

She shuddered and smiled at him.

"Thanks, I hate bugs."

He felt like a child to be lying to her about something so stupid and he promised he wouldn't lie to her about anything; he assumed that meant stupid things too.

"There was no bug...I just said that cause the truth sounded stupid...but I promised that I wouldn't lie to you," he confessed.

"What's the truth, Merle?"

"That your hair looked pretty in the light from the fireworks, and I just touched it without thinking," he shrugged. "I'm not a creep, I swear."

"Merle-"

"Who says something like that, right?" he laughed, trying to make light of it all.

"I think it's sweet, Merle. I think you're very sweet."

She looked like an angel, her hair blowing in the breeze and a subtle little smile across her lips. Merle didn't walk across the line, he jumped.

He reached his hands out to touch the sides of her face and moved in slow to kiss her lips.

He could feel her mouth move against his and her fingers curled around a handful of his shirt. He was so sure he'd made the right move, he was positive…until she pulled away.

"Merle...wait..." she answered, laying her hands on his chest.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," she insisted, but she looked confused about what she wanted to get across to him.

"I shouldn't have done that but…I think you're really beautiful, Andrea. You're so smart and nice and I just...I really like you."

She smiled at him, and he saw something that looked like pity, and it scared him.

"Merle, I like you too, it's just that-"

"Ouch," he winced.

"What?"

"I know that look. I just made a total ass of myself, didn't I?"

"No, you didn't. Merle. I'm so sorry. I wasn't trying to lead you on...I do like you a lot, I just want to get you out of this mess first."

"You can just say no, it's alright. I wouldn't wanna be with me if I was you either."

"It's not a no, Merle, I swear. I just jump the gun a lot and I don't want to do that with you. I want to do this right for once."

"You're right...I know you're right," he nodded, wanting to crawl under a rock and die. "I'm just gonna go, but I'll talk to you later, OK?"

He was trying to look unscathed but knew he wasn't pulling it off.

"Merle, wait-"

"It's OK, Andrea," he answered, turning to walk away.

"Please call me when you get back to Tennessee," she pleaded after him.

"I will…and thanks again," he answered over his shoulder but he was already a fair distance away.

He continued across the field back to the park and kicked himself all the way there.

It wasn't her fault that he'd gotten the wrong idea but he still went over the way she smiled at him, the way she snuggled into him and the way she spoke to him.

Merle pretended he was fine and watched the rest of the fireworks with Sophia.

_**/** _

They all drove home afterward and he had a chance to chat with Daryl some more. Merle found Daryl's memory for details of the past incredible, it was like being told a story of your own life after experiencing amnesia.

"I can't believe you remember Joanne," Merle sighed. "I barely remembered her till you said her name."

"You used to sneak her in through your bedroom window all the time," Daryl chuckled. "You're so lucky you never got busted."

Merle thought about it for a moment and he was right back there in time. He'd pushed away even the good memories over the years; sometimes the good memories were the ones that hurt the most, but Joanne had been crazy for him, he remembered it then.

"Joanne was probably the only girl who ever really liked me, now that I think of it," Merle mused.

"That can't be true. What do you mean?" Daryl inquired.

"Nothing. I was just thinking...it was only puppy love, but it was nice."

"What about Andrea?" Daryl asked, looking hopeful about the idea of them together.

"I'm not so sure, brother...we'll just have to see. I like her a lot, but it might not be the right time."

"Maybe when you move back then."

"Maybe...I better get to bed, I'm wrecked," Merle smiled. He didn't want to drag Daryl into his self-pity so he stretched and went off to bed looking as fake-happy as he could.

"Night, brother."

Alone in the basement room, he stood staring at the bottle and it called to him. It whispered that it would help his mind rest, take away the sting of rejection and make it all better.

He knew these were sweet lies but still it tempted him.

Merle sat down on the edge of the bed and closed his eyes with his head in his hands, fighting the urge to pick up the piss warm beer and polish it off.

Andrea hadn't said no, and she could have, maybe she really did just want to do it right. He still felt like an idiot, but he did believe her when she said she liked him, she treated him like she did. Nobody ever volunteered to jump in and help him the way she was; there had to be a reason she'd do that.

_**It's not a no, Merle, I swear. I just jump the gun a lot, and I don't want to do that with you. I want to do this right for once...** _

Andrea's words were the only thing that stopped him in that moment. If there was still a chance she could be his, then it was worth it to leave the bottle on the dresser untouched. It was worth it to keep trying and keep putting one foot in front of the other. He couldn't run away anymore.

Merle would need more help, and he knew it, but that night he went to bed without giving in.

_**#####################** _

_**There are good things ahead for these two, I swear. There are 14 chapters left and things really improve for Merle from here on it. No more sad shit!** _

_**Sorry for the angst...love ya! Teagan XOXO** _


	21. Facing the Music

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 21** _ _**–** _ _**Facing the Music** _

The next morning Merle got up and started to pack. He needed to get back in time to get a job and a residence, as Andrea had suggested. The best hope he had of staying free was to show the court that he was managing his life in a responsible way. The bottle of warm beer was still in the same position on his dresser, and he eyed it suspiciously as if it held some kind of special power. Already it had become a symbol of his resistance, and he picked it up, wrapped it in a t-shirt and put it in his bag.

He had to be on the bus by 10 am, and he was starting to see how much he would miss his family. It felt good to have someone to miss, though.

"I made you this, Uncle Merle," Sophia offered when he brought his bag up the stairs to the landing.

"Thanks, little one."

He stopped to open the card she'd made, and it had a picture of them fishing together.

"I drew the worms too, see?"

"You sure did," he smiled down at her. "I'm gonna put this in a frame it's so good."

"Are you coming back to see us when the baby comes?" she asked.

Merle thought about his court date and tried to look hopeful.

"I'll come see you again as soon as I can, is that OK?"

"Yeah, I know you'll be here for the baby," she giggled.

He just nodded, unable to think of a way to say he might have his ass in jail instead.

Daryl finished breakfast and offered to drive him to the bus station.

"Thanks, brother."

Carol handed him a paper bag with a snack like he was a little kid.

"You might get hungry on the way," she smiled.

"Come here," he said, pulling her in for a hug.

She was just the kind of woman his brother deserved. Sophia looked sad and didn't say a word as he gathered his things.

"Be a good girl," he smiled and nodded to her.

"I will, Uncle Merle."

"I know you will; I'm just kidding. Come here."

He sat down on the kitchen chair and hugged Sophia, hoping he'd be back soon to meet the new baby and to see her.

The ride to the bus station was a little odd for Daryl; he didn't know why Merle was leaving so suddenly or when he'd see him again.

Merle lit a smoke, relaxed back into the seat as they drove and looked over at Daryl.

"Thanks for this."

"It's nothing; you're family."

"I needed this more than I can even tell you. You have a beautiful family, Daryl. I don't know anyone who deserves it more."

Daryl smiled at him like he'd been handed the keys to the city.

"I wanna see you back here as soon as you can come," he insisted, pulling up at the bus station.

Merle finished his cigarette as they sat in silence.

"What time is your bus?" Daryl asked to break up the quiet.

"10 am."

Merle grabbed his bag and got out of the truck to retrieve his box from the back.

"Wait," Daryl said, taking the box from his hands to hug him.

Merle loved that he was still sensitive like the kid he used to be, their father hadn't broken that in him. He hugged him tight, and it felt good.

When Daryl finally let him go, Merle, smiled at him as reassuringly as he could.

"I'll call you, OK?"

Daryl looked sad and unsure, but Merle insisted everything was going to be fine as he left to wait in the bus station.

When the bus arrived, he found a spot at the back and finally allowed himself to think of Andrea. He felt stupid about his decision to kiss her; he cringed every time he thought of it.

Andrea seemed like she was into him and then as soon as he made a move she backed away. She was right, though, he did have things to deal with first. He hoped it was really that and not that she didn't want him.

The only option Merle had when he got back was to see if Axel would take him in for a couple of weeks. He prayed to God that Axel didn't know he'd left the state, but he didn't suspect anyone else would have noticed. Axel was supposed to be working away for a bit, and he knew Danny wasn't going to be looking for him.

As the road became familiar and he could see Chattanooga appearing on the horizon, he shuddered. There was nothing wrong with the place; it was just that he had no good memories there.

When the bus pulled up at the station, he dug in his pocket for a quarter to call Axel and prayed he was back from the road.

The phone rang and rang and finally he heard his voice.

"Hello?"

"Hey, man."

"What the hell happened to you? I heard the old bat fired you and threw you out."

"When did you get back?" Merle asked, trying to piece together a story for himself. He really didn't want Axel to know he'd left the state after he'd put up bail for him.

"Just last night. Where have you been staying?"

"The shelter?"

Merle didn't mean for it to come out sounding like a question but it did.

"Why are you lying to me?"

Axel knew him better than he thought so he decided to come clean.

"You know how I have a kid brother I haven't seen in ten years?"

"Yeah."

"He wrote to me, and I had a chance to go see him. I left the state and I'm sorry, but I didn't get into any trouble there. Nobody knows I broke the terms of my bail."

Axel sighed, but he didn't sound mad.

"So what's the plan now?"

"I have a lawyer, a brilliant one and she said she's going to help me for free. She says I just need to find a residence and a job before I have to go back to court."

"You at the bus station?"

"Yeah."

"I'll come pick you up. You can stay with me," Axel answered, and something inside Merle melted. He really did have so much more in his life than he thought. Alcohol had blinded him to all the beauty in life.

Merle sat on the bench outside with a smoke, his duffle bag, and his cardboard box and waited for Axel.

When he pulled up in his truck, he was all smiles. Guys like Axel were unique; Merle never had a better friend than him.

"Come on," he said, nodding his head to the passenger seat.

Back at Axel's house he was shown to the spare room and told to make himself at home.

Merle noticed Axel had a computer in the living room; he didn't even have a cell phone.

"Do you think I could maybe type a resume on that thing?" he asked.

"Where are you thinking of looking for work?"

"No idea, I guess bartending somewhere but…I'm trying to stop drinking, so that won't be easy. Bartending is all I really know how to do."

"You're giving up drinking? Never thought I'd hear that from you."

"This lawyer said I should, and she's right. I got a problem."

"I know, man. You shouldn't be bartending so why don't you do some driving for me instead?"

"You sure? I need so much help from everyone these days," he sighed.

"I need someone temporary anyway; it's no big deal."

"Thanks."

Merle wanted to hear Andrea's voice again, even though he still felt stupid.

"Can I make a call to Marietta?" he asked.

"Go for it; I got unlimited long distance to call my family out of state. Knock yourself out."

Axel sat back in the living room to watch a movie and Merle went to his room with the cordless phone to call her.

It rang four times and then he got her voicemail.

He hadn't thought of anything to say before hand, so it sounded as unplanned as it was.

"Hey, Andrea, it's only me…Merle. I'm back in Tennessee, and you said to call you so…I'm calling. I have a place to stay already, and a job and I'm going to do like you said and get some help with my drinking. I haven't had a drink since you said that to me though so I'm working on it. You said you wanted my lawyer's name and number…I mean, if you were still willing to help me-"

The voice mail cut off in mid sentence and he groaned at his rambling and how much more stupid it would sound broken into two messages. He had to call her back to give her the lawyer's name and number though.

He dialed the number again, but this time she answered.

"Hey, Merle."

"Hi."

"I was just wrapping up a meeting, so I missed your call."

"That's OK; I only had to call back cause I was talking too long and the voice mail cut off. Did you still want to help me? Cause I'll understand if you don't want to now."

"Of course I do, I'm not upset at all, I just want to see you get the help you need and get out of this mess first."

"I understand all that. I just got carried away."

"I'm sorry for misleading you, but I was having so much fun with you that I got carried away too. I didn't mean to lead you on, I'm sorry."

"It wouldn't have taken much to mislead me."

Merle lay back on the bed and tried to imagine her at work with her pretty blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and sweet smile. She'd be wearing a skirt maybe, or black dress pants and heels…he had to stop thinking about it.

He gave her the name and number of his lawyer, and she said she already had some ideas but wouldn't divulge what they were yet.

"Do you have internet access?" she asked.

"My friend has a computer, and I think he'd let me use it."

"Do you have an email account? It might help us share information."

"No. How do I do that?"

Andrea laughed and explained to him how to set up a Gmail account.

He talked to her for a few more minutes, and she said she'd get back to him as soon as she had more information on his case.

"Sounds good."

"I'll be down there a few days before your court date to prepare, but I'll probably be calling a lot to go over things, I hope that's OK."

"I'll be here," he answered.

He was trying not to fawn all over her but also trying to sound appreciative a delicate balance.

"I'll let you get settled in, but I'll call you back tomorrow after I've spoken to your lawyer and looked some things over."

"Talk to you then…thanks, Andrea."

"Merle, I'm happy to help. Also…you're a very good kisser," she added, before hanging up.

Merle grinned to himself, remembering the sensation of his lips against hers.

It was the 16th of July, and he needed to be in court on the 1st of August. He only hoped he could do enough to make a good impression on the court cause he had a lot of living to do.

He got up off the bed and unpacked his things into the drawers of the old dresser and unwrapped the beer bottle to set it right in the middle.

He had no idea why he was hanging onto it, but it made him feel stronger somehow. It was the first beer he'd turned down and he knew it was stupid superstition, but he didn't care. If it worked, it worked.

He looked at it for a moment and sighed.

"You ain't gettin' the best of me anymore."


	22. Renewed Faith

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 22** _ _**–** _ _**Renewed Faith** _

Daryl came home from work a few nights after Merle left and found Sophia in the backyard playing with Ben. It was a humid Thursday evening and he was dog tired.

"What are you two playing?" he asked.

"Fisherman," she answered. "Ben just caught a shark. I taught him how to bait the hook."

He smiled and figured this was Merle's influence, and he liked that.

Daryl headed into the house to see how Carol was holding up in the heat.

"Hey, honey," she smiled, plating up his supper.

"You doing OK?" he asked, leaning in to kiss her.

"I can't wait for this weather to cool down," she sighed.

Daryl understood the way she felt in a way, lifting heavy furniture all summer long was agonizing.

Carol sat down across the table from him and her face looked different, he knew it wasn't just the heat getting to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I had some light bleeding today."

"Jesus! Why didn't you call me?"

"I left Sophia with Jacquie and I went to see the doctor. He said it doesn't appear to be anything."

"That's not normal, though, right?"

"No, it's not, but he checked the baby and everything seems to be OK."

"What do we do?"

"I just need to take it easier and keep an eye on it."

"Maybe you should stop working."

"We'll see how it goes."

Daryl didn't like the sound of not doing something, he liked to take action if he could.

"I want you off work, Carol. We can survive on just my income. I can work more overtime."

"The doctor says he's not especially concerned, Daryl. I don't want you breaking your back if I can still work."

"I don't want to risk this," he argued.

Carol didn't know what to say; she understood his point of view, but it seemed like an overreaction.

"We can talk about it later, honey. Just eat your supper."

"There ain't nothing to talk about. You're my wife and that's our baby, you need to be home resting and not working."

Carol decided to let it go and let him blow off some steam. It was best not to bother arguing when he was upset like this.

"Just eat, honey."

They put Sophia to bed after supper and everything felt defused until later that night when she got up to use the bathroom and had more bleeding.

"Daryl!" she called, hoping Sophia wouldn't hear her panic.

"What is it?" he asked, walking into the bathroom.

The bleeding wasn't excessive but any bleeding in pregnancy is terrifying and the first thought for Daryl was that they'd lost the baby.

"Stay put, I'm getting Jacqui to come, and I'm taking you to the hospital."

Twenty minutes later Daryl was sitting in a chair losing his mind as Carol spoke to the doctor.

"My doctor said it was nothing earlier today…but this isn't nothing," she exclaimed after telling him how many weeks pregnant she was and all her details.

"Lay back, and we'll check for a fetal heartbeat."

Daryl wrung his hands, praying there would be one; he didn't know what he'd do if there wasn't.

The ER doctor used the Doppler and found the heartbeat right away.

After more investigation, it was determined that she had cervical incompetence and needed to have a cervical cerclage, to prevent early delivery.

Daryl didn't take any of the information well and paced the hall as she was taken into a procedure room.

_**/** _

The next morning, Daryl brought her home and insisted she go straight to bed.

"I'm going to talk to Dale, you aren't working anymore," he insisted, and she didn't fight him on it.

"OK."

"I don't want to push you around or tell you what to do but we can't risk this."

"I know, babe."

She pulled him down to her and kissed him softly.

"This is going to be a long pregnancy," she sighed, knowing she wouldn't be able to do very much for months to come. She was only 16 weeks pregnant that very day and it would be painful to have to lay around for months.

"Jacqui is off today, so she offered to take Sophia. You were up so late I want you sleeping today."

Daryl was a softy until he got protective and then he could be a bit of a worry wart.

"OK," she agreed without argument.

Daryl had no choice, as the only breadwinner, but to get back to work but Andrea said she'd come to keep an eye on Carol later in the afternoon.

"I love you, Carol. Promise you'll take it easy."

"I promise. I'm just really tired."

"You sleep and I'll talk to Dale."

_**/** _

Merle went along with Axel to work and was given a local rural run to do everyday. It was a smaller van and he was just delivering parts to auto service places in the surrounding area. The run was easy enough and the driving was relaxing, not like the bar. Nothing but the open road ahead of him and the radio on, he loved it.

"This is pretty sweet," he noted when they stopped for a coffee.

"It's nice to just do your own thing. That's why I like this work," Axel explained, "I can throw on the radio or an audiobook and just drive."

"Sounds perfect."

Axel turned on the radio and Merle instantly recognized the classic song from the 80s. He wasn't a Lionel Richie fan and love songs never registered with him much before, but this one was hard to hear.

_**I long to see the sunlight in your hair** _   
_**And tell you time and time again how much I care** _   
_**Sometimes I feel my heart will overflow** _   
_**Hello, I've just got to let you know** _

_**'Cause I wonder where you are** _   
_**And I wonder what you do** _   
_**Are you somewhere feeling lonely, or is someone loving you?** _   
_**Tell me how to win your heart** _   
_**For I haven't got a clue** _   
_**But let me start by saying, I love you** _

"You OK?" Axel asked him when he fell completely silent.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Merle, what is it?" he pressed.

"I'm just lovesick over a woman...my lawyer," Merle confessed.

"Hope it works out for ya."

"First I gotta stay out of prison and then maybe I'd have a shot. She's way too good for me, but it's like she can't see it or something. She treats me so nice, it just throws me right off my game."

"You're a decent guy, Merle. There's no reason she wouldn't like you."

"Maybe."

_**/** _

Merle would be doing the run alone the next day, and he was excited, but possible incarceration still loomed over his head.

That night, Axel helped him set up a Gmail account and he decided to test it out with a message to Andrea.

_**~ Just testing to see if it works. Merle.** _

A few minutes later he got a reply.

_**~ Welcome to the modern age;) I have some news, is it a good time to call?  
~ Yes.** _

When the phone rang, he answered on the first ring like a kid.

"Hey."

"Has your brother called yet? Something happened with Carol."

"What's wrong?" he asked as his heart sank.

"She had some bleeding so she's on bed rest. Daryl is insisting she give up work. He's probably flustered and just hasn't gotten around to calling you yet."

"Jesus! Is the baby OK?"

"So far so good but she had to have a procedure done cause they're worried about early delivery and the baby would never survive if it was born now."

"Oh God! I need to get off on these charges. I wanna be there for them if I can."

"Actually, I have some good news about that."

"I need good news right now."

"Well, you do have the female victim as a witness and from just a short chat she seems quite credible. The other good thing is that the bank across the alley has security cameras because they receive armored car deliveries around the back. We should be able to obtain footage of the incident; I called the bank and they keep tapes for a year. It'll get you off on the resisting arrest charge and then all you'll have is the simple assault which is unlikely to include jail time."

"You're a miracle worker!"

Merle felt weird that she'd spoken to Danny and he hoped she hadn't said anything to her about their tryst.

"I'll do my best," she said, trying to sound hopeful. "I'll be down on the 27th and you have court on the 1st so it'll give us a few days to get organized. You still aren't telling Daryl?"

"No, and definitely not now. He doesn't need this on top of what's going on with Carol."

"I guess so. I had to tell Carol I was going to visit family, it feels wrong to lie to her."

"I'm sorry about that; I know I'm dragging you into this."

"No, you aren't. I volunteered and I'm not sorry I did. I think we have a good shot here."

"Thank God for you, Andrea!"

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders on the other end of the line; he was full of gratitude, and it was flattering.

"So, how's everything else going there?" she asked.

"I landed on my feet thanks to my friend Axel. Got a roof over my head and full time employment…I'm going to a meeting at the AA tomorrow too."

"I'm really proud of you, Merle. I know things weren't easy for you and Daryl as kids and that kind of stuff affects everyone differently."

"It sure does, Daryl seems to have managed a lot better."

"You know why that is, don't you?"

"Not a clue."

"He made it out better than you did because he had you to look up to and to encourage him…you didn't have that."

Merle felt stunned by her words; it was very unexpected.

Daryl said so himself that it was like losing a father. Suddenly he felt a little less guilty for how much he'd struggled to deal with the past.

"In a million years I wouldn't have thought of that," he admitted.

"Daryl has talked to me about you. You were his hero and it doesn't matter anymore that you left, it just matters that you're back in his life."

"I guess that's the thing; I can't change the past."

"No, but your future can be anything you want."

"I sure hope so. I guess I should call Daryl tonight."

"Good idea. I'll be in touch, OK?"

"You're gonna get sick of hearing thank you," he laughed.

"Don't even mention it. Have a good night, Merle. I'm really looking forward to seeing you again."

"Me too, I miss you already," he confessed.

"I miss you too."

They said goodnight and he grinned to himself, but quickly remembered Daryl and his troubles.

Merle called Daryl and the relief in his voice just to hear from him was priceless.

"Hang in there, man. She's gonna be OK cause you're taking good care of her. I'll be back as soon as I can be to help out."

"Thanks, Merle. I just don't know what I'm gonna do if we lose the baby."

The panic was palpable in his voice.

"Listen to me, Daryl, it's gonna be OK."

Maybe it was bullshit; maybe they would lose the baby, but he didn't know what else to say.

"You really think so?" Daryl asked, needing the reassurance.

"I can see it already. We'll be taking Sophia and the little new one fishing someday, you just wait."

"God, I hope you're right."

"I am."

Daryl smiled cause he suddenly had renewed faith; Merle still knew everything in his eyes. He knew in his mind that things might still go wrong, but in his heart, he believed, and it was enough in that moment.


	23. The Calm Before the Storm

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 23** _ _**–** _ _**The Calm Before the Storm** _

Over the next few days, Merle found himself talking to Andrea in the evenings as well as Daryl. He had to constantly remind Daryl to stay positive and calm. With Carol still under the weather Daryl had to be the one there to keep Sophia's spirits up. It was a little like how he had to keep things together for Daryl as kids. Sometimes it was anything but OK but he had to pretend it would be fine even when he had no idea.

Merle went to his first AA meeting, and Axel came along with him. It was scary, and somehow it made it all real to hear stories of people just like him. It turned out that a lot of people were just running from feelings as he was.

Andrea's comments about the difference in his experience and Daryl's made sense to him, and it made him think of recovery differently.

He didn't see it as an excuse for how things turned out, just perhaps an explanation. It was always his choice to stay away and to take up drinking to soothe his pain, that was still on him. It was also true, though, that he had been there for Daryl while nobody had been there for him.

The great thing was that the past didn't matter, he only had control over right now. It was like a huge weight being lifted from his shoulders, carrying the past had been so heavy on his heart.

Andrea had been in constant contact with his old lawyer and took over the case completely. She sounded more hopeful every day that passed.

It turned out that one of the police officers in his case had been disciplined in the past for lying about a man he'd arrested. He claimed that a suspect had a weapon when it was later proven he didn't.

She sounded enthusiastic, and Merle was just happy to be able to talk with her so often.

He checked his email first thing after work every day to see what news she had and at the bottom of the email she would add something more personal like 'keep your head up!' or 'I'm so proud of you:)' and he looked forward to those little messages all day. Giving up drinking seemed to make everything he felt more intense and his feelings for her were getting so strong it almost hurt. He found himself listening to sad love songs and dreaming about her every evening, he felt like a teenager again.

Andrea was apparently into inspirational quotes and would leave the odd one in emails as well, he'd never had anyone try to boost his spirits the way she did. It tickled him to think that a woman like her was so concerned with his state of mind, he loved it in fact.

" _ **Hope smiles miles from the threshold of the year to come,**_ _ **  
**__**Whispering 'it will be happier'...**_ _ **"**_ _ **  
**___**―** **Alfred Tennyson**

" _ **Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.**_ _ **"**_

_**\- A.A. Milne** _

_**/** _

Hanging out with Axel was a calming thing for Merle, he knew he didn't have to put on any airs and graces for him. He talked to him about the occasional urge to drink and why he thought he was really done with it now.

Axel told him about a few friends he'd had who'd succeeded with the help of AA and other groups, he assured him that a new way was possible.

Merle started going for long walks in the evening because it helped with the insomnia that came along with giving up drinking. He was told that was a normal part of sobriety at AA and one guy said walking helped. Merle was in the mindset now that anything he did differently had to be better than what he'd been doing and the fresh air and quiet of evening gave him time to think, and he always thought about his family and Andrea.

When the 27th finally came, Andrea arrived at Axel's house around supper time when they'd just gotten home from work.

"How was the drive?" he asked, leaning in to hug her in a friendly way.

"It was good, it's not that far."

"This is Axel," he said, and Axel grinned at her from a few feet away. He was bashful around attractive women but said hello.

Merle offered her a place to sit while he took a quick shower, he wanted to smell and look good for her.

**_/_ **

Andrea was hoping that court would go how she'd pictured it in her head, she wasn't trying to get his hopes up only to be defeated, but cockiness helped her in battle.

The footage from the bank was pretty open and shut, but it depended on whether they had a biased judge or not. Sometimes people accused of messing with cops were frowned upon, and it didn't help the case.

From what she'd seen, Merle had simply leaned in on him when he lost his balance. The part of the video that showed the beating was hard to watch, Merle snapped on the man and was obviously unhinged. The one thing he had was that Phillip had been strangling a woman and had also thrown the first punch. It looked as good as any other case to her benefit.

Merle came out of the bathroom in clean jeans and a flannel shirt, and she had to admit he looked fine as hell. Andrea had to stay professional to keep her head in the game, but more than once she'd thought of him without his shirt on at the camper. Taking her time with him hadn't been easy, and she knew if court went her way that she'd probably waste no time taking him somewhere to be alone.

"Did you want to go out?" she asked.

"Sure."

Merle had gotten an advance on his check for Andrea coming and thankfully had money to buy dinner. They went in her car, and he suggested a quiet place where they could talk, a place that wasn't a bar.

They sat at a table in the back corner of the restaurant where they could maintain privacy, and she pulled out her tablet to show him the written testimony from Danny. Everything she said was true, and she was a good witness, there was no hesitation when Andrea spoke to her over the phone. Merle asked to see the video of the incident after she mentioned that she had it on her tablet.

"Are you sure you want to see it?" she asked, thinking it could be upsetting for him to see, it had been for her. She didn't believe he was a violent man at all, but he looked like a different person in the footage.

"I want to see it."

She turned the sound off, since they were in public, and handed it to him to view. The video blew his mind, and he wondered what she'd thought when she saw it. The man he was beating was a dirtbag, a man who was a danger to Danny and other women as well, but still it was hard to see; it reminded him of his father.

He cringed at the sight of it and looked up at her with guilty eyes.

"I don't even wanna know what you must think of me now," he said, handing it back.

"I think you're a man who was carrying around a lot of pain and a man who just needs a second chance, that's why I want to help. I also saw a man who was reading to a child and took that same child fishing. You are more than what this shows, Merle, so much more."

He smiled but still felt awful that she'd seen it.

"You're a special kind of woman to still believe I'm worth helping."

She grinned at him and reached for his hand.

"Merle, you deserve adequate legal representation, and I'm more than happy to do that for you. My feelings for you haven't changed at all."

Merle was very grateful that people like Andrea existed. He knew she was right about telling Daryl but he couldn't now that Daryl had so much to worry about. He felt that he was doing him a huge favor by dealing with it alone. He was attending AA, got a full-time job and a place to stay. In many ways, life was working out in his favor for a change. The case Andrea had to present sounded good to him, but he knew nothing about the law.

They ate together, and he asked her if she wanted to hang out back at Axel's house for a while, and thankfully she agreed.

Axel was out when they returned, and Merle had no plans to hit on her, he just liked to be with her.

"Do you have something nice to wear to court?" she asked when they sat down in the living room.

"What do you think I should wear? I don't have any dress clothes and Axel's stuff wouldn't fit me."

"You'll need a dress shirt, dress pants and a tie at least," she said, taking a cup of coffee he handed her.

"How much is all that?" he asked.

"Don't worry about it."

"Axel gave me an advance, so I have a little left, but I don't get paid for another week."

"Let me take you to look for something tomorrow. I'm paying. You'll need to be dressed up for court."

"You already paid to come up here and stay in a hotel, this is too much," he protested.

"My firm pays for my expenses when I take on a pro bono case so don't even worry about that. This is a legal expense," she winked.

He smiled at her, she was sneaky, and he found it amusing.

"I sure hope Carol is OK," he said, just because it randomly popped into his head. "I'll call Daryl again tonight. He says she's doing OK now, but I'm still worried."

"We all are. They are the nicest couple I've ever met; I can't imagine them losing this baby. Daryl isn't letting her do anything around the house."

"I guess this is taking you away from her when she needs you," he noted.

"I spent the first week with her, and as soon as I get back, I'll be over as often as I can. Jacqui is being an angel as usual and helping her out a lot. I just know she wouldn't be happy if Daryl lost you again and with the lawyer you had that was more likely. I do stand a much better chance of getting you off on these charges."

"That's a good way to think of it. I want to move back there as soon as I'm able to, I like having a family, and I want to be an uncle to those kids."

"We'll do everything we can; I have a good feeling about this."

Merle looked at her from the other end of the couch and tried not to imagine touching her. It was almost evil for a woman to be this beautiful and kind, it left him defenseless.

"Thanks for all those little quotes you put in the emails, they made me smile," he said.

"Good, that's what I wanted. A man like you deserves to be happier than you've been in the last few years, and you can be."

"I believe that now. No matter what happens in court, I know that it's possible now. I can't even tell you what it's like to have hope again, to be honest, I was pretty depressed before I came back to Marietta."

"And you're feeling better now?" she smiled.

"Yes...being around you makes me feel better than I have in years."

Andrea moved closer to him and into his arms, she just needed to, and she decided not to fight it. Andrea wanted to take it just slow enough to read her heart properly and to read his as well, and she believed this was right. Her arm slid around his back, and she rested her head on his shoulder as she prayed to the Gods of the legal system that she could keep him.

Andrea believed everything would go their way and she had a plan in place for all outcomes. The appeal was already written if he was convicted and she had a special motion prepared in case he was given probation, all eventualities were accounted for.

For that night, they just talked and cuddled and even in high school she hadn't kept it to this level, she loved it, though. Just holding someone who you cared about wasn't boring at all. She listened to the sound of his voice as he spoke and felt his strong arm around her, it was more exciting than being with any of her ex-boyfriends. Andrea had a feeling that this was very similar to the way Carol had felt about Daryl when they first met and in her mind that meant she was on the right track with the right man.


	24. Court (Part 1)

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 24** _ _**–** _ _**Court (Part 1)** _

By August 1st, Carol was already sick and tired of sitting around but still had months ahead of her. Daryl was policing her for fear of anything happening while she was feeling guilty about all the things she couldn't do for Sophia.

"Mom, can I go play outside?" Sophia asked, standing by the door and looking at her impatiently.

"Just a second, we need to wait for Jacqui to come over."

"When is she coming?" she pressed.

"Honey, please. She'll be here in 15 minutes. I just can't sit outside with you right now and I want you to play with Ben so you aren't alone."

"Why can't you come out?"

"I'm not feeling very well today. My back is killing me. You'd never think sitting around all day could make you so stiff," she sighed.

Jacqui finally knocked at the door and Sophia ran outside to play with Ben. Carol couldn't help weeping softly at the table and it broke Jacqui's heart.

"Jacqui, I'm so sorry-" she began.

"Hey, don't even start that. I'm your friend and I insist on helping you."

"I love you, Jacqui. I don't think I could do this without you. Thank you."

The whole affair was emotional for her, not to mention that her hormones were in a bit of an uproar.

"Love you right back, babe."

Carol knew there wasn't anything she could do about the situation she was in but it still felt horrible. Sophia was 6 and couldn't quite understand the seriousness of the whole thing. Carol and Daryl didn't want to give her more details than she could handle and make her worry excessively. Carol ended up leaving it at 'Mommy has to take it easy because it's the best thing for the baby.'

Nothing about the rest of the pregnancy would be easy, especially since Daryl wouldn't come near her sexually. The doctor said if they were careful then it should be safe but still he didn't want to risk it. The challenges were mounting and they all missed having Merle around, especially Sophia.

_**/** _

_**On the same day in Tennessee** _ _**…** _

"Andrea, I'm sweating my ass off! I'm so nervous," Merle said, fumbling with his tie and pacing around the living room of Axel's house.

"Stop pacing! You're making me dizzy, come here," she insisted, waving him over. "It'll be one horrible long day and then you can breathe, by tonight it'll be over."

She'd picked up a dark blue suit and a dark gray striped tie and he looked like a million dollars. Andrea had taken him to a store and forced him to try on a few suits for her and she found that he looked good in all of them. She'd had luck with good judgments when her clients wore the color blue so she nodded when he came out in the blue one.

She straightened his tie and looked up at his face with a reassuring smile. She tried not to imagine stripping him out of the blue suit but it wasn't easy. If she didn't want to be visiting him through glass, she'd have to keep her thoughts pure and on the case.

"We have a good case and Danny swore she'd be there on time to testify and Axel is coming too as a character witness."

Merle breathed out deep and dared to reach out and touch her shoulders. He had faith in her abilities but still anything could happen and he might not even see her again for a year or more. The possible sentence wasn't likely to be long if it did go that way but even one day away from his family would hurt.

Andrea drove them to court and thought of the few days they'd spent together, he hadn't even mentioned a drink and went to his meetings faithfully. If anyone deserved a chance to try again it was Merle.

He was funny and sweet and when she'd just sit with him and let him talk he unburdened so much to her. Stories about he and Daryl as kids, his hopes, his dreams, everything.

Merle wanted to stay sober and said he'd never tend bar again, he wanted to drive for a living now. He wanted stability in his life, just like Daryl, but was afraid of how different that would be.

They were just about at the courthouse when he decided he had to tell her about Danny just in case it came up.

"Andrea."

"Yes?"

"About Danny…before I came to Georgia, I slept with her. It was just the one time and it was only after I got charged. I didn't know her before the night I got arrested. The fight had nothing to do with her, I didn't know her when it happened."

"Really?" she asked in a soft, surprised voice.

"She came by the bar one night and it just happened. I should have told you that before but I didn't know how. I don't want to be a man that sleeps around anymore. I know you already have so many reasons to think I'm a bad idea but I want you to know who I really am, even the horrible stuff."

Andrea parked up outside the courthouse and held onto the wheel but she didn't say anything. He wondered if she'd just given up on him.

"I had to tell you the truth; I was a bad man in so many ways but I want to be different. I want to be a part of Daryl's family, I want to hold that baby when it's born and I wanna be with you."

"It's OK, Merle," she said but she didn't look at him.

The one-night stands had only started because none of the women he slept with ever stayed. After a while it ate away at his self-esteem and he wondered why they all took off. The sex was always good, or at least he thought so, and yet they'd all run off before he woke up.

"I'm a fucking disappointment, aren't I?" he sighed.

"No. Seriously, it's OK."

When she finally looked at him she was smiling and it looked real to him.

"I'll be honest; I don't usually have proper relationships either…but I want to."

"I was never looking to have shallow relationships…I just kept waking up alone so I figured that's all I'd ever get. I was drinking a lot and making bad decisions for years."

"Thanks for telling me the truth. I don't think you're a bad person at all."

"I keep thinking you'll learn enough about me to drop me cold but you never seem to," he sighed.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere."

Merle felt calmer, but there was still so much ahead of him.

She'd been over the proceedings with him and he knew what to expect but it was still scary as hell.

"You ready for this?" she asked, reaching over to touch his hand.

He didn't say anything but he nodded to her, trying to look like he wasn't terrified.

"Maybe this will help."

Andrea leaned over across the console and touched his cheek softly. She came closer and closer until her lips settled on his and he could feel every nerve tingle with excitement.

He leaned into her and touched her upper arm, never wanting it to end.

It was a simple, sweet, closed-mouth kiss but there was so much behind it.

She pulled back and smiled at him, and he felt brave until they entered the courtroom.

Suddenly she was different, and he was star struck by the way she owned the room.

Andrea shook hands with the prosecutor and lined up her witnesses on the bench behind where Merle was sat.

Danny was completely casual and said hello to him like nothing had ever happened.

Andrea had gotten so much done that he didn't even know about and he was blown away. She had arranged to show the security camera tape from the bank, spoken to Danny and Axel and lined up a witness to testify about the crooked cop who'd lied about the weapon. Merle was excited now, it really did look good for them.

He sat at the table beside her and endured the morning. The prosecution presented their case first and it involved the cops telling their side of the story and Phillip bending the truth to suit his whims.

Under cross examination, Andrea asked hard questions about the way Merle had been handled. The older of the cops held his position while the younger conceded that they had been too rough considering the circumstances.

Philip was a bad witness because he wasn't likable and therefore less believable. He was cocky and self assured with no humility and Andrea grinned when the prosecution finally rested its case.

The judge adjourned for lunch and Merle wanted her impression of how it went so he asked the second she sat down.

"They got nothing," she smiled.

"When I present the video and get Axel and Danny on the stand it'll be over."

"How can you be so sure?" he asked, rubbing his hands together.

"Trust me. Let's go find the cafeteria in this place and then wrap this thing up."

"You're a ballsy chick," he winked.

"It's going to be OK," she said, gathering her papers and walking out of the court with him.

They headed down to the cafeteria and she prayed it was all going to go her way. She couldn't see him doing any time in prison, even if he was convicted. If he got probation, then she'd just pray that her wild card motion would work.

Merle was still anxious and couldn't stop thinking of the little kiss that she'd initiated, he wanted more.

Her confidence was unwavering, or at least that's how it looked.

"I'm putting Axel on the stand and then Danny. I got a letter from your AA group, and along with the video, I just can't see a case for the prosecution, especially after that evidence against the crooked cop. Planting a weapon is pretty severe and he did not look good."

"You're seriously good at this, Andrea," he grinned, finishing up his coffee as she looked down at her watch.

"Better go," she smiled. "Just breathe and try to relax, I got this."


	25. Court (Part 2) - The Verdict

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 25 – Court (Part 2 - The Verdict)** _

Back in the courtroom, Axel testified about Merle's character, stating that he was normally very diplomatic when dealing with bar fights and not a violent person. Axel said he thought any man would become especially enraged by seeing a woman being strangled. He also stated that he couldn't understand why Phillip hadn't been arrested since he was assaulting a woman but an objection was raised and sustained so he let it go. Axel had heard the story from Merle and rightly presumed the cops just picked their guilty party by who was being the mouthiest and least respectful toward them.

Danny was called next, and Andrea played the video then asked her to recount what she felt would have happened had Merle not shown up.

"I don't really want to believe Phillip could have killed me but I do think it's possible. A man has never put his hands on my throat before and it scared me to death," Danny noted.

Her voice trembled a little and Andrea loved that, it would really drive home that this woman genuinely believed she was in danger.

"So, in your opinion Merle Dixon may have saved your life that night?" Andrea reiterated.

"I would say so. He was paying close attention to the bar and saw me getting dragged out of the back door. I'm just so grateful he even noticed I was in trouble, my kids might not have a mother if he hadn't stepped in."

"Thank you, Danielle," Andrea said as she finished her questioning.

Danny was cross-examined, and the prosecutor tried to paint Merle as violent by what was shown on the video, but she was flawless.

"You could say he went overboard if you like but he stepped in and defended me when I needed it and the moment I told him to stop, he did. A man who is angered by a woman being strangled seems pretty reasonable to me."

"And what if you hadn't been there to say stop? What might Mr. Dixon have done then?" the prosecutor shot back.

"If I hadn't been there then the reason for his anger wouldn't have been either. He deals with bar fights all the time and has never gone overboard in the past to my knowledge."

Andrea looked down at her lap and grinned widely to herself. Danny was the best witness she'd seen in ages; she was completely on her game.

The prosecutor had little to say in his closing argument and basically insinuated that Merle could be a threat to others but had nothing to back it up.

In Andrea's closing argument she mentioned the video and Danny's statement again. She added that Merle was employed, attending AA and seeking help for any anger issues brought about from childhood abuse. The fact that he'd been a bartender/bouncer for years and never had an altercation like this before was also driven home. She wrapped up with the fact that the police involved were less than credible and appeared to be biased from the outset.

By the time she sat down next to Merle and the judge left to deliberate she felt completely sure of everything.

"That went really well," she said, squeezing his hand.

Merle wasn't entirely convinced yet, but he smiled back at her.

"The judge looks so serious, though."

"They always look like that. The prosecution had no case, I think we're good."

"I need a smoke," he sighed.

"Come on," she smiled.

They stood in front of the courthouse and he reached into his coat pocket for his smokes and lit one.

"You were incredible in there," he said, looking down into her bright blue eyes.

"Thanks, this is what I love to do."

"You were made for this; I never saw anything like it," he praised.

"Merle, I want you to know that if things don't go our way that I'm still here for you and I'll keep fighting."

"I just don't get you," he said softly. "I never thought I'd have someone like you in my corner."

"Well, I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere no matter what happens," she insisted.

"Will you write to me if they send me to prison?" he asked.

It sounded like a joke but he really hoped he'd hear from her if it went that way. He imagined being in prison while his niece or nephew was being born and not being able to see anyone and his adrenaline raised again; he needed people now.

"I'd come visit you all the time," she smiled, "but that's not going to happen."

They only had to wait half an hour before being called back for the ruling and the judge had a lot to say.

"After reviewing all the evidence in this case, it doesn't appear that any of it corroborates the charge of Resisting Arrest. That being said, I am upholding the charge of Simple Assault because I want to impose some conditions in terms of probation. I don't feel that you are a threat at this time, Mr. Dixon, but I do feel that you need to be redirected. It looks like you are already headed in that direction which is the reason I'm showing leniency. I'm giving you a year of probation. This comes with the condition that you complete an anger management program and also that you continue with your AA program. Your lawyer has filed for a change of venue for your probation due to you having family in Georgia that can assist you with recovery and provide stability. This court insists that you report to the Marietta Parole office every week, provide proof that you are maintaining sobriety and that you submit paperwork when you complete the anger management program. Failure to comply with these instructions will see you back before me and then I will not be so lenient. Do you understand this, Mr. Dixon?"

"Yes, your Honor."

Court was dismissed and even though he'd said he understood, he didn't really understand it completely.

Merle sat back down next to Andrea when the judge left the court and looked at her quizzically.

"OK, seriously. What the hell did all that mean?"

"You got off on this basically," she grinned. "Just a year's probation that you're allowed to serve in Marietta instead of Tennessee which is huge! That was a wild card up my sleeve and I'm kinda surprised he allowed it."

"You mean they'll let me move to Georgia now?"

She loved the look on his face.

"That's what I'm saying."

He grabbed her and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her.

"Thank you!"

He felt like he was probably smothering her after a moment, so he loosened his grip.

"You're very welcome. Just remember you have to meet all these conditions to the letter."

"I will, I definitely will," he insisted.

Merle held his head in his hands and pictured all the things that were possible now. He knew that telling Daryl about everything was a number one priority but for just that moment he wanted to celebrate, and not with booze. He wanted to celebrate by living.

"I just need to have a word with the prosecutor and call my office but I'll be right back in about ten minutes, then we're outta here," Andrea winked.

"Yeah, thanks. I need a smoke, so I'll be right out front."

"See you in a minute."

Merle had a chat with Axel and told him how grateful he was to him for all the help.

"That's what friends are for, man. You gotta stay in touch, though, you understand?"

"I will. I'll come back and visit when I can."

"You taking off with your gorgeous lawyer now?" Axel winked.

"God I hope so, maybe she'll let me take her for supper to celebrate."

"Good luck with that, man. I won't wait up."

"I doubt I'll be getting that lucky," he laughed.

Merle walked out the front doors of the courthouse and took in a deep breath. He lit a smoke and looked over to his left to see Danny standing and talking on her cell phone.

He approached her, and she wrapped up her phone call to talk to him.

"Hey."

"Danny, I can't thank you enough for this. You really saved my ass in there."

"You saved my ass too, so it's the least I could do," she smiled. "So you and Andrea, huh?"

Merle chuckled at this; it must have shown that he had eyes for her.

"Is it that obvious that I'm chasing her?"

"Yes, but I was thinking more about the way she was talking about you," Danny explained.

"Yeah?"

"She's got it bad, Merle. It was her mission to get you off on this and it was more than just the fact that you were innocent."

"You think?"

"Definitely. You're a good man, Merle. I hope things work out really well for you two."

She meant it; he could see it in her eyes.

Danny's cab pulled up, and she wished him luck.

"Thanks again," he smiled, opening the car door for her.

"It's nothing, Merle, just paying it forward as they say."

_**/** _

"Are you going to let me take you for a celebration dinner?" Andrea asked when she met him outside.

"Nope, I'm taking you out," he grinned.

He still had enough for a decent dinner and nothing else mattered but that very moment.

It was 6pm and they'd spent the entire day in court. Now they were both starving for real food and fresh air.

"I know the perfect place," he grinned.

"Lead on; I'm starved."

"Come on," he said, linking his arm with hers on the way to her car.

He'd only been on one proper date while he lived in Chattanooga, at a bar and grill with a patio out on a deck. Bars were no threat to him tonight, he didn't want to ruin the good thing he had going on.

The fresh air would be heaven after the stifling courtroom and all the tension.

When they arrived the deck was lit up with patio lanterns and a band was playing. He thought about a nice cold beer or a whiskey with ice and it didn't have the same appeal. What Merle really wanted to taste was the woman across the table from him; Andrea is all he was thirsting for.

They sat down near the railing to look at the amazing view of the sunset and the lake, she looked so beautiful in the dying light of day.

"There just ain't no way for a man like me to repay a woman like you."

"Just repay me by enjoying your freedom and keeping your nose clean," she winked. "Now you'll be able to come back to Georgia and start over."

"I got a chance to do things differently now thanks to you, Andrea."

"It was my pleasure."

She ordered a virgin margarita and insisted he try one too so he went along with it. He'd never even tried a non-virgin margarita before so why not?

They ate like kings, enough ribs and shrimp to feed the 5000, and he loved to watch her lick her fingers like a dude. She was a highly skilled lawyer but still a casual Georgia girl, she was the best of everything.

The band played 'Burnin' for You' by Blue Oyster Cult, and he couldn't help imagining pinning her to the nearest wall and kissing her.

_**Burn out the day** _

_**Burn out the night** _

_**I can't see no reason to put up a fight** _

_**I'm living for giving the devil his due** _

_**And I'm burning, I'm burning, I'm burning for you** _

Something was telling him it was possible but he couldn't be sure. After years of women only wanting him for one night it was hard to get his mind around the idea that she might be really interested.

The sun was sinking lower and he couldn't stop staring at the way her hair moved in the wind, thinking of the night with the fireworks. It seemed like a long time ago already.

"What?" she asked, smiling at him like he was somebody.

"Nothing...you just look really pretty today."

She looked down and touched her hair almost self-consciously.

"You're sweet, Merle."

"I can't seem to stop trying for you, sorry," he chuckled.

"You're a whole new man and anything is possible."

"Anything?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"I definitely have more options thanks to all of this but there's still things I want that might be out of my reach."

"Like what?"

"You?"

"Merle-"

"It's like sitting right across the table from everything I ever dreamed of; I'd be a fool not to try."

Andrea just stared right at his eyes and he felt goofy but he stood his ground. She wasn't even giving him enough rope to hang himself and he started to squirm uncomfortably.

"Merle-"

"Yeah?"

"Come back to my hotel."

"Huh?"

"Let's go."

_**##################################** _

_**I'm posting two chapters tonight but I know it's TWD night so people will be getting to it tomorrow. The next two chapters had to be posted together cause I don't break up fun stuff and it's two chapters long;)** _

_**Love you!** _

_**Thanks for reading, Teagan XOXO** _


	26. Use Your Mouth on Me

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 26 – Use Your Mouth on Me** _

Andrea got up and grabbed the bill but Merle took it from her hand and walked over to the counter to pay before she could intervene. His hands were shaking slightly as he counted out the change and when he turned to look back at the table she appeared impatient already. This was it, she wanted him too.

When he got back to the table, her face was completely different and her eyes were glowing, he knew just what she needed. He knew what this look meant.

"You sure?" he asked.

"I'm positive. Come."

She walked back to her car and he followed her like a puppy. She'd made his very freedom possible and his ability to go back and be with the only family he had in the whole world. She had saved him in so many ways and he'd follow her anywhere, right off a cliff if she asked.

On top of everything else, she was gorgeous. The blonde hair, the blue eyes the sweet smile and classy intelligent 'don't fuck with me' way that she had about her drove him absolutely crazy.

He sat next to her in the car, and she didn't even look at him all the way there.

"You OK?" he asked.

"I'm good," she answered simply, driving like she was on a mission.

Andrea couldn't bear it any longer. She'd been thinking of him every time she touched herself lately. The timber in his voice, the strong hands, his quirky fumbling ways...she just knew he was the one she needed. Now that he was free she planned to cage him immediately. When she could see the case going her way, the visions began of tearing his clothing from his body and pleading with him to give her all he had. Part of her wanted it slow and sensual while the other half wanted it raw and dirty; it would likely be a little of both.

In 5 minutes they were at her hotel; she put the car in park and turned to him.

"I want you, Merle, I just have to have you right now," she stated.

He was speechless, but she could tell by his eyes that he was ready.

She leaned across to him and lay her hand on his upper thigh, taking his mouth with her own.

Merle was still in awe from her performance in the courtroom and just knew she'd be a tiger-cat in the bedroom. Winning in court seemed to make her sexually aggressive and he loved that, he wanted her to own his body.

Her hand moved up his thigh to his dick and he let out a grunt of need. It didn't appear to bother her at all that they were in the parking lot and anyone could walk by, she seemed desperate for him. It was just like the fantasy he'd had that was so unreal before.

"I need you up in my room," she whined, pulling herself away.

"Take me anywhere ya want, honey."

Andrea turned off the car and he followed her into the lobby of the hotel and they waited for the elevator to arrive at the main floor. Time was standing still as their minds raced and blood flowed to the necessary areas.

The elevator finally opened, and he waited until she walked on before entering himself. The very second the doors closed she grabbed him.

He looked so good in the blue suit, she'd been eyeing him up all day long. The broad shoulders, the way it showcased his ass...she was in heat.

Merle was pressed to the mirrored wall of the elevator, and she took his face in her hands, kissing him hard. His entire world melted and nothing remained but her.

She had never treated him like shit for needing her help or screwing up, and he felt completely accepted by a woman for once.

He lay his hands on her and his blood caught fire. Just his hands, gripping her waist, was leaving him unsteady. All the late night chats and kind words had melted his heart, now he was burning for her.

All of the heat, mixed with the knowledge that he had nothing to hide, made him feel so amazing; she knew all about his demons and still she wanted him.

The floors were announced with every little ding as the elevator approached her floor but then it stopped on the 6th and he had to tear his body away from hers; it hurt like hell.

A man in a suit walked onto the elevator and seemed to sense the sexual tension. Merle stood with his back to the mirrored wall and ran his fingers through his hair as Andrea pretended to look for something in her purse.

Finally, they arrived at the 8th floor and she walked off with a sway of her hips that he'd happily follow to his death.

She sauntered down the hall to her door where she took her card key and swiped their entry into the room. He knew she wanted it as badly as he did, he could feel it in the very way she moved.

The second she entered the room and tossed her purse onto the desk he pulled her into his arms.

Merle walked her back toward the wall near the door, and she softened at his touch.

"I wanted you from the moment I first saw you," he whispered into her hair.

She was peeling her blazer over her shoulders with no provocation from him, and her cream-colored camisole drew his eyes.

He kissed along the lace across her chest and pulled her closer with his hands on her lower back.

Merle yanked her leg up around his hip and thrust against her, he needed to be inside her but he had to do it right. His hand cupped her ass and pulled her in tighter against his throbbing dick and she let out a lazy sigh that told him she was right there.

She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through his hair, and he felt goosebumps all over his skin from her touch.

"I'd be in jail right now without you, honey…nobody ever did anything like this for me."

"I wasn't about to let them take you from me," she panted.

"I wanna make you feel good, honey. I wanna repay you."

"You owe me nothing...but if you really insist I can think of something I might like," she grinned, pulling him to the bed.

"Oh yeah? You tell me what you want, and I'll give it to you the best I got."

Andrea unzipped her skirt and lay back on the bed.

"Come here, and I'll tell you," she teased.

He slipped off his jacket and undid the buttons of his shirt slowly as her eyes drank it in.

"Fuuuuck me, Merle! You look so good in that suit...now take it off!"

He peeled his shirt from his shoulders then tossed it casually on a chair, and she shivered with desire as he crawled over her on the bed.

"Nah, look at you…you're an angel," he groaned, burying his mouth between her breasts.

Andrea moved her hands down her body to her skirt and started to push it down her legs and he had to back up to let her get it off. Apparently, she was not in any mood for teasing, that was crystal clear.

Her panties were red lace, and he loved how much he could see through them.

He pulled her up to sit and peeled the camisole off and then her bra.

"So tell me how I can repay you," he smiled, nudging himself between her knees.

Merle was pulled down to her hot mouth as she lay back down.

"Use your mouth on me, baby. Something is telling me you know how…"

_**#################################** _

_**Are we primed for the second part yet?** _

_**Is this enough foreplay? LOL** _

_**Thanks for reading:) XOXO** _


	27. Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 27 – Slow Dancing in a Burning Room** _

Nothing could be better than his life in that moment. He couldn't think of a single thing to compare to it.

He could go back to Marietta a free man, have his brother back, be an uncle to Sophia and the new baby and now he had Andrea too.

She looked up into his eyes, and he felt redeemed by some external force as if it was washing over him like a cleansing wave.

The sad, lonely man who was full of regret had faded into the past enough that he could see the light, a new Merle had been born.

He lowered his mouth to her belly and held her still with both hands on her ribs as he began to repay her kindness.

"I've wanted this since I showed up at the camper when you were chopping wood," she grinned with her eyes closed, focusing on the sensation of his lips moving down her skin.

"Oh yeah?" he answered, not letting up with his mouth for even a second.

"Yeah, you looked soooo fucking good…"

He smiled to himself and began to trail his tongue between her belly button and her panties.

Her skin was somehow sweet and soft like the petals of a flower. His hands moved up to touch her breasts, and her legs opened a little wider, so he nudged his nose against her panties making her whine out loud.

He pinched her nipples just softly and breathed hot breath through the material covering her desperation.

"Damn...you're killin' me, Merle," she cried, writhing against the hotel sheets.

"I dreamed about this, honey. I wanted you right from the start," he murmured.

"I'm right here, Merle...you got me..."

He moved down the inside of her left thigh to her knee and then back and she was squirming for more.

He decided to make it as hot as possible and teased her by kissing down the other thigh and back as he slid his hands under her ass.

"Please…." she uttered.

"Please what?" he teased, drifting his fingertips over the red lace directly covering her wet lips.

"Please, Merle…take them off."

He obeyed her and took her panties by the waist and slid them down as she raised her bum off the bed.

"Sweet Jesus!" he groaned, looking down at her body and nudging her knees apart.

He'd never seen anything like her body. The soft curve of her hips, the smooth skin of her inner thighs and the sweet wetness before his eyes was heaven on earth.

His ability to tease went out the window and all he wanted to do was get busy making her moan. Merle started with soft kisses all over her lips and she hissed, lifting her feet up onto his upper back. He slid his right hand under her ass and moaned into her flesh like he was hungry for it, in truth he really was.

He licked from her ass cheek up to her clit, and she arched her back and whispered his name.

His name, uttered by her beautiful mouth, was the best thing in life.

"Merle…I'm almost…"

"Do it when you gotta…just let it go, honey…"

He pulled a hand out from under her ass and slid it up between her open legs to get to her breast, and she gasped as he ran his fingertips over her nipple.

Merle closed his lips around her clit and moved his tongue in dizzying slow circles around it.

"Fuck!" she whined, reaching for his hair and pulling his mouth into her tighter.

He grabbed her hips then, lifting them just an inch or so off the mattress and pressed his tongue to her desperate entrance.

"Jesus!" she cried and her thighs began to tremble as she dug her heels into the mattress and raised her pussy to his mouth.

The intensity of her release could be felt from the flush in her cheeks to the shivering in her thighs, and she whined in bliss and agony as it moved through her.

Andrea looked down when she could finally think straight, and he was grinning up at her with his cheek resting on her belly.

"Take off your pants, right this second!" she demanded.

He stood and unbuckled his belt before letting the dark blue dress pants fall to the floor, and she could see through his boxer briefs that she was in for a good time.

"Keep going," she purred.

Merle pushed his boxers down, and she groaned at the sight of his throbbing, rock hard dick.

Andrea crawled on the bed toward him and licked across his chest and took his ass with both hands. She took her time running her tongue over both nipples and then down the center all the way to his perfect dick. Andrea licked, from the base all the way to the end, and he moaned with weakness. She never took her eyes from his as she moved and he could barely stand it.

"That's so good, honey," he uttered.

She sucked him off steady and with full desire, taking her time to make him feel how badly she wanted him but soon his hand gripped her shoulder and she knew he'd had enough.

"Come here," she whispered, laying back on the bed.

She rolled over to grab a cosmetic bag off the nightstand and tossed a condom to the end of the bed.

The first time just had to start in missionary, in her opinion, it was a lot more romantic that way.

She wanted to see his face as he entered her, she wanted to remember it.

Merle crawled toward her on the bed and slid between her knees as she enveloped him in them. With her feet resting on his ass and her hands on his face…there's nowhere else in the whole world, he wanted to be.

His forearms came to rest on either side of her head, and he pressed on into her.

Andrea's head pushed back into the pillow, and she let out a slow, tortured whine that gave him goose bumps.

She was so wet and warm and tight that he knew it wouldn't be long. He made love to her in a slow rhythm, and with every thrust, a small satisfied sigh escaped her. Merle slid his hand down the back of her thigh to her ass and pulled her into him as he fucked her.

The bliss was unmatched in his experience; she was the ultimate.

She rolled him onto his side, and he pulled her thigh up high around his hip and continued. He sucked her breasts and kept his hands on her ass and never stopped with the slow, sleepy thrusting; it was getting her there so fast it was stunning.

Her panting got louder, and she turned them both till she was on top, so he lay back and let her ride.

He lay the palms of his hands gently against her breasts as they moved and she bit her lip in approval.

The friction of his palms against her nipples as she rode his dick was out of control, and soon she could feel it building again.

She needed him to cum before she did again but everything he did felt so amazing.

She lifted one foot till it rested on the bed next to his hip, fucked him a little deeper, and that was it. Her hands moved to her own breasts, and she played with them for his visual enjoyment and to get herself there.

He grabbed the insides of her thighs and growled as he stiffened and came harder than he ever had before.

"Uh! Fuuuuuck!" he growled in his rough voice, breathing out hard in gasps.

Andrea collapsed on top of him, and he almost laughed; it had to be some kind of dream.

Getting off on the charges, having the freedom to go home and making love to the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen couldn't be reality.

He held her against his chest and ran his fingers up and down her spine as they collected themselves.

"I'm not gonna let you down, honey," he began. "You won't regret taking this chance on me…I promise you that."

Andrea raised her head to look into his eyes but instead she looked right into his heart.

"I know I won't regret it, Merle. I'm not worried."

"Where did you get all this faith in me?" he asked touching her beautiful face.

"From you, the Merle I know is a good and honest man. I'll never regret this."

He couldn't think of anything clever to say so he just held her tight, never wanting to let go.

_**###################################** _

_**Hope it was good for you;)** _

_**Thanks for reading, Teagan XO** _

_**There's more story yet....and more nooky;)** _


	28. The Power of Touch

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 28** _ _**–** _ _**The Power of Touch** _

_**~ August 1, evening in Marietta** _

Carol was still feeling low when Daryl got home from work. Nothing about this pregnancy was what she expected. Something that was supposed to be joyous was now so worrying. She knew it would be worth it when the baby came; she was almost 18 weeks pregnant, and she was determined to do whatever it took to bring a healthy baby into the world.

Daryl went to take a shower, and she ached for him, she missed the closeness that they had only weeks before, now he seemed afraid to touch her. Carol understood the fear, but she needed him desperately.

When he got out of the shower and came into the kitchen, he looked tired from working more than usual.

"You need to let me rub your back later, babe," she smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I can't have you doing things like that for me in your condition."

"I'm sure it'll be fine…I miss being close to you," she said softly so that Sophia wouldn't notice.

Sophia had come home from playing with Ben and was coloring at the table.

"I know, so do I but what if something happens?" he sighed.

"We can be careful. I need you, Daryl. I need you more than ever now," she admitted.

He smiled and kissed her against the refrigerator; he needed to touch her too.

Sophia wanted to go fishing again, and Daryl told her that he would take her as soon as he could find the time.

"I'm sorry, baby. Things are just so busy now that I have to work more hours, but the second I can take you, I will."

She nodded but still looked disappointed.

"I want Uncle Merle back," she sighed.

"We all do."

Daryl read to Sophia before bed, the same book as always. He was pretty sure he found the repetition as comforting as she did.

He tucked her in and assured her that Uncle Merle would come back as soon as he could.

"I hope so…Mom is so tired now."

"We love you, Sophia. This is all just temporary, I promise."

"OK," she smiled. "Love you, Dad."

"Goodnight, honey."

Daryl met Carol in the living room where she was sipping tea with her feet up.

"Thanks, babe."

"No problem," he shrugged, sitting down and pulling her legs across his lap.

He leaned his head back on the couch and let his hands rest on her knees.

Daryl's eyes were closed, and he ached all over, but the sensation of her soft skin under his hands was so nice. His hand drifted up her thigh, and she made a faint little sound in her throat.

She needed this, and so did he but he still wasn't ready to have sex with her, not yet.

"I can't make love to you, Carol, I'm too paranoid right now, but I want to touch you, and I need you to touch me."

"I understand, Daryl. I just need you close; we don't have to have sex."

Daryl looked down at her thigh and continued further up her leg, under the hem of her sundress. She closed her eyes and edged her knee open in anticipation of his touch.

Her legs, draped over his lap when he wanted her this bad was painful.

Carol could feel his fingers moving up the inside of her thigh, and she moaned and reached down to touch his hand as it approached her panties.

"You're driving me crazy," she whispered.

"I'm driving myself crazy," he uttered as his fingertips finally met with the soft cotton of her panties.

His work weathered hand nudged her thighs apart, and she lay her arms across her face in complete surrender. She could feel the baby shift within her and smiled to herself in the private knowledge.

He traced the elastic along the inside of her upper thigh, and she began to breathe deep and slow. It hadn't even been that long since he touched her, but she knew that he could get her off like nothing and no one else.

Carol raised the knee closest to his body and set her foot on his leg; she needed his touch so badly.

He moved his knuckles against the crotch of her panties and she groaned long and slow.

"Do it, baby…get me there," she whined.

In a flash he moved out from beneath her legs and knelt between them, pulling her panties down and tossing them on the floor.

"Watch me," he demanded, and she sat up long enough to shove a couch cushion under her back.

He was a demon with this, and she couldn't wait.

His hands moved up the outside of her legs until they were holding her tight by the hips and he kissed from her knees to her inner thighs leaving her weak with need.

She could feel his hot breath against her skin and she threaded her fingers through his hair as he kissed her. His lips were so gentle against hers, and she raised one foot up onto his upper back.

The intensity increased and soon he was sucking her flesh into his mouth, delicate but deliberate. She rolled her body toward his mouth and felt the baby flutter again, and she smiled as it began to unfold.

"Keep it up…I'm so close…"

He reached a hand up to take her breast in his grasp and flicked his tongue across her clit, and that was it.

She could sense the tightening in her abdomen and all throughout her pelvis, and she whined into her hands, trying to stifle the sound. He didn't let up until she was spent, and by the time she was, she needed his dick so bad it hurt.

He tried to tell her he was fine but Carol wasn't hearing any of it; her man worked hard, and she was going to make his night.

He sat back on the couch, and she instructed him to lift his bum so she could yank his sweats down.

Carol felt so good just to touch him again that she didn't even care that they weren't having sex. She didn't blame him for being cautious cause she felt it too.

She took his throbbing hard dick in her hand and ran her tongue over her lips to make them soft and wet. Her lips then slid up and down his dick, up and down the front and then the back as he squirmed.

The knowledge of just what he liked was her greatest weapon, and she used it with stealth.

Teasing and licking, her slippery lips worked like a charm, and soon he was begging for her to take him into her mouth.

She obliged him and sucked nice and smooth, not too fast or slow, just nice and steady. Using her hand and mouth in unison, she raised the stakes till he folded with abandon.

"Jesus Christ, Carol!" he hissed, trying to keep it down but failing.

Carol swallowed and didn't let him go for a good minute as he held the back of her head tight.

Sophia slept like a stone once she was out but it was still a habit to keep it down.

He flopped back onto the couch, and she snuggled up into his arms.

"That was….just what I needed," he grinned.

"Me too. We have the rest of our lives to make love; there's no hurry."

"Exactly. I love you, honey."

"Come to bed," Carol said, standing up and reaching her hands down to him.

Daryl pulled her closer by her hips and leaned his head against her belly. He could feel something like a wave against his cheek and it was just what he needed, the reassurance that their child was alive and well.

"I can't wait to meet this little person," he grinned.

"Still don't want to know what it is? I have an ultrasound next week, so they'll be able to tell me."

"I don't want to know, but if you want to you can."

"I won't find out either; we'll be surprised together."

She pulled him up, and they staggered off to bed. Life was tiring, and they didn't have much in term of material possessions, but they considered it heaven because they had each other.

_**##############** _

_**This is just a peek back at Daryl and Carol and what they are dealing with before Merle returns:)** _

_**This takes place the same evening that Andrea and Merle are first intimate.** _

_**Next chapter is Merle's return to Marietta:)** _

_**Thank you for reading. I** _ _**t really does mean the world to me. Teagan xoxo** _


	29. Coming Home

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 29 - Coming Home** _

Merle was up before Andrea, and he grinned down at her after sitting up in bed to stretch. Her hair was covering most of her face, and she was snoring softly.

She looked young with her messy hair and slightly parted lips. Merle crept out of bed to use the bathroom, and he couldn't help smiling all the while. He was looking forward to calling Daryl and telling him the good news. The whole idea of people being excited to have him around was precious. He hadn't belonged anywhere in so long. He washed up and used some of the hotel mouthwash to freshen his breath; he couldn't wait to kiss her again, and he wanted it to be pleasant.

When he came back into the main area, she was on her back and rubbing her eyes.

"Hey," she croaked.

"Good morning," he replied, crawling in beside her and pulling her close to him. "Being free never felt so sweet…I wanna kiss the ground I'm so happy."

"Why don't you come kiss me instead?" she winked, pulling him to her mouth. "Mmmm, you're minty."

"I can't wait to call Daryl. It sounds like they could use a hand around there with Carol under the weather."

"You're a good man, Merle. I was just thinking the same thing. I want to go and lighten her load a little, maybe take Sophia for a couple of nights to give them a break."

"That's sweet of you. Sophia's a really nice kid. She's so much like Daryl when he was little; you'd think she was his. The only difference is she's tougher than he was."

"He's a sensitive guy, but we all love him that way," she giggled.

"I always liked that about him too," Merle agreed. "So what's on the docket for today?"

"Breakfast and then whatever you want."

"Sounds good to me. I just wanna go home, and by home I mean Georgia," he laughed.

"I should be able to fit all your stuff in my car easy enough, but you're going to have to tell Daryl everything."

"I will; I have no problem telling him now. I just didn't want to worry him about this with everything he already has going on. He's pretty good at forgiving me, thank God."

They got up and took a shower before heading down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast.

Next, they had to go back to Axel's place to pick up his things.

Merle walked in while Andrea waited in the car. He needed to talk to him alone; he wanted to make sure things were OK between them.

"I'm sorry about dicking you around like this, buddy. You're my guardian angel these days, and I can't think how to repay you for everything," Merle explained.

"It's alright, Merle. I just wanted to see you get back on your feet."

"I know, but I don't feel like I've been a very good friend to you lately," he confessed.

"This ain't a competition, and I know if I ever need anything you'll be there, right?"

"Of course, man. Anything I can do you just call on me."

"If we aren't here to help each other, then what's the point in anything, right?"

"That's very wise, man."

Merle went to his bedroom to collect his things and called Daryl to ask if he could crash a while longer till he got his feet under him.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Daryl."

"Merle! Hey! What's up?"

"I sorted out all my business in Tennessee, and I was wondering if I could maybe come stay with you for a bit again? Just till I get a full-time job and a place of my own."

"Of course, no problem."

"I got some things I have to tell you about when I get back tonight, though."

"Sure. Is everything OK?"

"Everything is great now, but I need to tell you the whole thing. It's nothing to worry about; I just wanna be honest with you."

"Sure, we can go for a beer tonight."

Merle looked over at the beer bottle on the dresser and grinned.

"Just a coffee, I think."

"Yeah, whatever. I'll see you tonight then?"

"Yep! See ya then."

He grabbed the bottle off his dresser and wrapped it in a t-shirt before placing it in a safe spot in his bag. He had no idea when he'd toss it away but for now it was helping and he had no idea why, just a silly superstition likely.

Merle carried his box and his duffle bag out to Andrea's car, and she leaned in when he sat down to kiss him.

"Everything good with Axel?"

"He's one of the best people I know I swear."

"You ready to start over?" she smiled.

"I'm ready."

The drive wasn't too long, and when they got to town, she took him over to her house for a while first.

Andrea's home was small but beautiful. It was very modern, clean and organized. It didn't surprise him that she had such a classy place, it just seemed to fit.

"Did you want a cup of tea?" she asked.

"I never really drank tea before," he shrugged. "I guess there's a world of things out there for me to try drinking besides booze so yeah, why not?"

Andrea laughed and put the kettle on.

He sat at her kitchen table and thought back to his old place above the bar; he never wanted to sink that low again.

"Your place is real snazzy," he noted.

"It's cozy," she grinned. "It gets a little quiet with just me here…maybe you could keep me company sometimes."

A woman like Andrea wanting him to spend time with her felt so good; he was starting to feel a lot better about himself.

"Don't offer that or I'll never leave your side, honey," he laughed.

She set a cup of tea in front of him and bent down to kiss him again.

"That might be nice…I like being with you."

It was a dream that he hoped he'd never wake from.

They sipped tea in her cute little dining room, and he felt like a champion for not wanting to drink and for winning her affection.

They had a light lunch then he called Carol to make sure everything was still OK for him to stay there.

"Yeah, come on over. I can't wait to see you!"

She sounded genuinely excited but also different in the sense that her voice sounded tired.

"You OK, honey?" he asked.

"I'm OK. Just sick of being stuck at home and unable to do anything. Managing everything with Sophia is harder like this and Daryl is working a lot lately."

"Well, the cavalry is on its way," he insisted. "I'm gonna help you out now, Sis."

"You're an angel, Merle."

"It's nothing. I'll see you soon."

Andrea drove him to Daryl and Carol's place and apparently they'd kept his coming back a secret from Sophia.

"Uncle Merle!" she squealed when she saw him get out of Andrea's car.

"Hey, little one!" he grinned.

Sophia ran up to him and jumped into his arms.

"Are you gonna stay now?" she asked.

"Yep! You're all stuck with me now, and yes, I'll take you fishing again."

"I was just gonna ask that! How did you know?" she gasped.

"Just a lucky guess," he laughed, setting her down on the driveway.

"My mom is sick," she informed him.

"I know, honey. I'm gonna help you guys out around here and take care of her for your dad. Sound good?"

"Yeah."

Andrea went inside with Merle and Carol looked a little surprised to see them together.

"Hey, Andrea. Did you pick him up at the bus?"

"No, it's kind of a long story," Andrea began.

"I'll fill her in," Merle nodded to Andrea. He wanted to take responsibility for his own explanation.

Andrea nodded and asked Sophia to go play in the backyard with her.

"So, what's up?" Carol asked, sitting down at the table.

Merle took his time and explained everything to her, right from the beginning. It took over twenty minutes, but he didn't want to leave anything out. He wanted them to know who the real Merle was, or at least who he had been.

Carol listened patiently and when he was through she stood up and walked across the table to hug him.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys everything right from the start, but I was ashamed and then when you had your medical problems I didn't want to trouble Daryl with this."

"Merle, it's OK. I'm just glad it's all sorted out now."

"Do you think Daryl will be upset?" he asked.

"I know he won't, don't even worry about that. We're family."

"You don't even know how good that sounds to me," he sighed.

"I probably do actually. After I got divorced, I never imagined finding Daryl and having a family again, but with you and Andrea and Jacqui and Ben, it's all coming together now."

"I wanna help you out around here as much as I can and maybe find a job working nights so I can be here for you during the day."

"That's a lot to ask of you."

"No, it isn't, and I insist so don't even start."

"Thank you, Merle."

"Happy to help."

Andrea popped in to say she had to run when Sophia was finished playing, and Merle stepped out to say goodbye to her.

"How'd she take it?" she asked.

"Good. Carol's a doll," he smiled. "Now I just have to tell Daryl."

"He's going to be fine with it."

"How do you know that?" Merle asked, wondering how she could be so sure.

"Forgiveness is a choice we make when we want to be together more than we want to be apart," she answered.

"Did you just think of that now?" he asked.

"No," Andrea laughed. "It's a quote from the internet. You know me and my quotes."

"I hope you're right about him; Carol says he'll be OK with it too."

"She knows him best of all. Daryl wants you in his life a hell of a lot more than he cares about being upset over something like this."

"I'll call you tonight, OK?"

"I'll be waiting," he answered, leaning down to kiss her slow and soft.


	30. Paint Me a Pretty Picture

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 30 – Paint Me a Pretty Picture** _

Daryl came in an hour later than usual, feeling exhausted but happy.

"I didn't think we'd be seeing you again so soon," he said, smacking Merle's shoulder and going to the fridge for a cold drink.

"Me neither, everything just worked out right."

Daryl figured he'd hear all about it later when they spoke so he left it alone for the time being.

He snuggled his face into Carol's neck and lay his hands on her belly.

"How are you two doing?" he whispered, and he could feel her smile against his cheek.

"Great. Merle says he's going to help me out around the house so he's my second favorite man now," she giggled.

"That's awesome. It's been an ordeal, hasn't it?"

"You can say that again," she agreed.

Carol served spaghetti and Sophia talked Merle's ear off about going into grade one in a few weeks. It made Daryl's day to have him back and having someone around to help with Carol put his mind at ease.

"Do you know anywhere that's hiring for a night shift?" Merle asked Daryl, halfway through supper.

"Night shift? Hmmm?" he thought for a moment. "Maybe the courier place in town, they do night deliveries out to the airport. It's a highway run."

"That sounds perfect, turns out I like driving for a living."

"I know the guy who runs the place. Bob Stookey is a good man."

"I thought if I could work nights and sleep a little in the morning then I'd still be around for Carol and Sophia."

"You don't have to do that but thanks, man."

"I want to," Merle insisted.

"Now that Carol's not working you can take her little car for work or whatever you need."

"Thanks a lot, that's a huge help."

After supper, they decided to just relax in the backyard with some lemonade. Daryl was too tired to go out anywhere.

"So what happened in Tennessee?" Daryl asked, eager to know what was going on.

He noticed that Merle paused for a moment and took an extra sip of his drink while he collected his thoughts.

"I got into some legal trouble through my job before I came to see you the first time. I was charged with resisting arrest and simple assault. That's what I had to go back for."

"So what happened?" Daryl prompted when he stopped to take another sip.

"Andrea came down and saved my ass. She volunteered to represent me, and she got me a year of probation instead of time in prison. I'm not a violent person, Daryl. The guy I beat up was strangling a woman in the alley behind the bar, but I admit that I kinda snapped."

"Who wouldn't?" Daryl said, knowing he'd probably snap too.

"Also…I'm getting help with my drinking from AA and the judge is sending me to anger managment. I've been running from the pain for too damn long, I know I've got a problem."

"I noticed you've been drinking more lemonade," Daryl noted with a grin.

"I was going to tell you sooner, but then Carol's been having those issues so I didn't want to add to your stress."

"I get that, Merle, but you still could have told me cause I wanna know what's going on with you. I don't want to lose touch with you again."

"That's not gonna happen. I got so much going on for me now that I have family."

"So how were things with Andrea up there?" he asked, detecting that there was more to the story.

Merle grinned and looked like the cat who ate the canary.

"Let's just say it wasn't entirely pro bono."

"You dog! Nice! So you two together now?"

"Looks that way. I don't know what the fuck she's thinkin', but as long as she's under some kind of spell, I'm gonna enjoy it," Merle laughed.

"She's really cool. She wasn't looking for some fancy boyfriend anyway. Andrea's a sucker for blue-collar guys," Daryl informed him.

"Yeah? I kinda pictured her dating a guy in an expensive suit."

"Nah! The most elegant guy she's ever dated was a fireman. I hope it works out good for you two anyway."

"Me too."

The evening drifted on, and Merle and Daryl aired it all out before turning in.

Merle returned to his basement and used the phone in the living room downstairs to call Andrea.

"Hey you," she answered, knowing it was him.

"Hey. It's good to hear your voice," Merle sighed, laying back on the couch like a teenager.

"Everything OK with Daryl?"

"It's all good…I miss you already," he admitted.

"It's only been a few hours since I saw you," she laughed.

"I'm coming off clingy, aren't I?" he groaned.

"No, I missed you too."

Merle couldn't wipe the constant, stupid grin from his face since walking out of court a free man.

He was feeling it for the first time, and he knew it without a single doubt, it was love.

He didn't plan to blurt it out so soon, but he was aware that's what he was feeling so he did intend to treat her that way.

"I'm going to see about a job tomorrow, call the parole office and hook myself up with the local AA and then maybe I could see you later?"

"I should warn you that I'm a busy girl with work, but I'd love to see you when I get home; I'll be done around 7 pm."

"I'll take whatever time I can have, honey."

"Stop talking to me in that voice, or I'll have to come and get you," she whined.

"This is the only voice I got," he laughed.

"It's evil what that voice does to me."

"What does it do to you?"

"It makes me want you…say something dirty to me, Merle."

His eyes went wide, and he turned to look up the stairs, double checking that the door was closed before walking from the living room to his bedroom.

He cleared his throat and tried to think of something dirty that didn't sound stupid.

"Merle?"

"I'm here, just went into my room for some privacy."

"Oh…nice. So you're alone in your room now?"

"Yep."

"Take off your shirt," she demanded.

He set the cordless phone on the dresser next to his precious bottle of beer and put it on speaker.

"Alright, maybe you should take your shirt off too," he added.

"Who says I didn't already?"

"Damn!"

"Maybe I'm already laying on my bed in my nighty."

"What colour?"

"Black."

"Fuck me," he sighed. "You got panties on under that?"

"Nope, I just threw it on after my shower."

"Heaven help me!"

"Heaven can't help you now, Merle."

He knew she was right so he lay back on the bed and squirmed out of his pants to crawl under the sheets.

"So what do I have to say to get you to touch yourself?" he asked.

"Tell me what you want to do to me."

"I want to run my fingers through your hair and kiss your neck."

"Mmmm….that's nice."

"Then I wanna run my hand down your thigh all the way to your knee."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, and I want you to spread those legs for me and let me get close to that sweetness you got goin' on down there."

"Fuck."

He sighed and started to work his dick, he just had to.

"Are you jerking off?" she purred.

"Can you see through the phone or something?" he laughed.

"I can just tell by your breathing."

"I had to, you're making me so crazy for you."

"That's one thing I'd like more of from the other night. I wanna take you deep into my warm, wet mouth."

"Oh for crying out loud!" he hissed, moving his clenched fist up and down his throbbing length.

"I'd slide my tongue up and down nice and slow before I took you so deep your eyes would roll back in your head," she added in a sultry voice.

"Do you do this professionally or something?" he moaned.

"Nope, but I've been told I'm excellent with my mouth…both in and out of the courtroom."

"Sweet Jesus…"

"Imagine it, Merle. Touch yourself and imagine it's me doing it."

"I want to taste you again, honey. I want you to lay it over my face so I can try to make you scream my name."

"Mmmmm, nice! You're good at this too," she sighed.

"I want to fuck you good and proper, Andrea. I wanna take my time and tease you with it before I do, though…I want to make you beg me for it."

"I'd beg you, baby…on my knees if that's what you like."

"Tell me exactly what you're doing, Andrea…paint me a pretty picture."

"I'm laying back in my bed and the lights are low…my nighty is pulled up, and I'm touching myself right where I wish your mouth was."

"Damn, honey. I wanna be with you so bad."

"Tomorrow night," she purred.

"This is such a tease…I'm so close."

"Maybe tomorrow night you'll bend me over the bed, baby, and give it to me hard," she giggled seductively.

His hand was moving faster and his breath catching in his throat, but he could hear her breathing growing more rapid too.

For a good minute, neither of them spoke as they each got closer.

"You there?" he asked.

"Yeah….you?"

"Mmmm….yeah…"

When he did break, it was a mournful little groan because he was trying to be quiet, but she could hear it, and soon she did the same, only louder.

He loved the sound of her pleasure, it was so sexy.

"There ain't nothing like you, honey. You're the most beautiful thing I ever saw in my whole life."

"Merle…that's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me."

"It's true…"

"I think we're gonna work out…this feels so right, doesn't it?"

"It feels like torture at this exact moment," he chuckled, "but I know what you mean. We don't really make any sense on paper, but it feels right to me."

"Me too, and that's all that matters."


	31. Proud of You

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 31** _ _**– Proud of You**_

Carol and Daryl were sat around the table, for once before Sophia woke up, and chatting over coffee the next morning.

"I can't wait for life to get boring again," he chuckled to himself.

"I know what you mean; it's been insane lately. I'm so glad he's back," she smiled.

"Me too. I feel a lot better knowing he'll be here for you during the day. I asked for a little overtime, and now they're working me like a dog."

"Don't overdo it, babe."

"I got my eye on something for the baby, and it's a little over budget, so I'm working for it."

"Is it a secret?" she asked with a wink.

"I can't tell you cause that little bugger will hear every word, I know it," he joked, pointing to her belly. "I better be off, but I'll see you tonight."

Merle was awakened by the smell of coffee and the sound of Sophia throwing her basketball against the side of the house again. He smiled and looked over at the bottle of beer on the dresser.

Merle wondered if he'd be so confident if something went wrong. He imagined losing Andrea, a big fight with Daryl or something happening to the baby and worried that something like that could drag him back and he knew what he had to do.

He rolled out of bed, showered and walked upstairs to see Carol.

"How you doing?" he asked, sitting down at the table.

"So much better now that you're here. Sophia talks about you all the time."

"I have to go see the AA and then the parole people today. Also, I want to have a word with Daryl's friend Bob but maybe tomorrow she'd wanna go hook some fish while you rest?"

"I think I love you, Merle," she laughed.

"It's nothing; she's a good fishing partner. Sophia isn't afraid to get her hands dirty like Daryl was."

"She'll be so excited. Thanks. Did you want some breakfast?" she asked.

"Nah, just the coffee is good," he insisted.

Carol shook her head and handed him a cranberry/orange muffin anyway and walked off to get dressed.

She was just beginning with a little waddle to her movement, and Merle thought it was cute. He tried hard not to imagine Andrea that way, but it wasn't easy.

He ate the muffin and stopped to have a chat with Sophia outside to ask her about fishing.

She was just as bouncy and excited as he expected her to be and it made his day.

Merle got into Carol's little car and drove to the church where the AA meetings were held. He stopped outside to have a quick smoke and checked his wallet to see how much money he had left when he spotted an unfamiliar piece of paper; something told him it was from Andrea.

Once unfolded he could see it was another of her quotes.

" _ **We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away, and there are things in us that we can find again only by going back.**_ _ **"**_ _ **  
**__**―**_ _**Pascal Mercier**_ , _**Night Train to Lisbon**_

Merle grinned and folded it up again. Andrea wasn't quite real to him; her faith was unshakable. Inside he found Father Murphy and was told that the man who ran AA was downstairs working on the electrical panel.

"Hey, Father Murphy said you run the meetings here," Merle began.

"That's me; the name's Andrew."

Andrew said he was an electrician by trade and had been sober for ten years; Merle liked him right away.

"I'm Merle; Daryl Dixon is my brother. Do you know him?"

"I've heard the name. So you'll be at the meeting today I take it?"

"Yeah."

"Have you already stopped drinking or are you just thinking about it."

"I've stopped already, but it's only been a couple of weeks. Everything is going great in my life right now…I guess I'm afraid if things change I might fall off the wagon. I've been to some meetings in Tennessee, but I need to keep it up."

"You're doing the right thing, Merle. The meeting is in the Sunday school room down the hall down here."

"Sounds good, I'll be here. Thanks."

Merle checked in with the parole office and was assigned an officer who got him to fill out a bunch of paperwork and kept him there for an hour relaying the whole story. The officer seemed reasonable, though, and he was told to come back every Friday at 3 pm to check in which was no problem for him.

Next, Merle drove to the courier place in town that was run by Bob Stookey.

He found the man at the front desk and was nervous to start a conversation about a job without a resume. He'd only ever had the one job and old Rose wouldn't give him any good reference.

"Hey there, buddy, what can I do for you?" the man began.

"I…I was told you know my brother Daryl Dixon."

The man looked at him strangely.

"I didn't even know he had a brother."

"I was living in Tennessee for a long time, it's a bit of a long story, but I'm staying with him now. My name is Merle."

"Nice to meet you, Daryl's a great guy."

"He really is…so he mentioned you might be looking for someone for nights?"

"I can always use people for nights. I can never keep anyone on the airport run from 11-7. Why? You interested?"

"Sounds perfect to me. I did a little delivery driving lately, and I really like it."

"Do me a favor and just write down your basic info on this paper and I'll arrange for one of my guys to take you out sometime this week, then it's all yours."

"Serious?"

"It ain't nothing glamorous, Merle," Bob laughed.

"Sounds pretty sweet to me," Merle argued.

He finished writing out his full name, the address of Daryl's place, and the number where he could be reached and then shook Bob's hand.

Merle had so much to keep together now, but he felt up to the challenge.

He drove back to Daryl and Carol's place after attending his first AA meeting at the church and told Carol the good news.

"I'm really proud of you, Merle," she grinned.

"Thanks. I don't recognize my life these days."

Carol was sat at the table, filling out the online registration for her birthing classes and trying to chat with Sophia at the same time.

Sophia was repeatedly requesting juice as Carol asked her to wait a moment.

"I got it," Merle said, walking to the fridge to grab the juice.

"I love having you here," Carol sighed. "I feel bad needing an extra pair of hands so much these days."

"I'm happy to be helpful, don't even think about it. When is Daryl gonna be home tonight?" he asked.

"He'll be home at five today. Why? You got a hot date?" she teased.

"I was going to go over and see Andrea at 7. I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't be alone."

"I'll be fine, you go ahead," she smiled."

"Are you and Andrea boyfriend and girlfriend?" Sophia asked.

"We sure are," he said proudly, "but we aren't getting married anytime soon or making you any cousins yet, OK?" he laughed, knowing she'd be asking that next.

"I can wait," Sophia nodded, running off to her bedroom to play.

/

That evening after supper, Merle took a shower and started to feel that tension rising. He couldn't wait to see Andrea again; it already felt like a long time.

He drove Carol's car over to her house and parked outside, letting the song on the radio finish playing. It was a mushy, romantic song but suddenly those songs sounded really good to him.

_**Wheels are turning  
I remember when you were mine ** _   
__**Now just to reach you  
Baby, I'd stand in line**

_**But there's another world** _   
_**We're living in** _   
_**Tonight** _

_**And there's another heart** _   
_**That's fading in** _   
_**The light** _

_**Don't want your picture** _   
_**On my cell phone** _   
_**I want you here with me** _   
_**Don't want your memory** _   
_**In my head now** _   
_**I want you here with me** _

He looked up at the light coming from her living room window and smiled to himself.

Her front door opened then, and a man walked out after hugging her quickly, and he frowned, wondering who it was.

He'd called her earlier in the day, so she knew he was coming.

Merle told himself he was being silly, but he watched as the handsome stranger got into his car and drove away, praying that he hadn't overestimated what they had. The man who left was a sharp looking professional with a nice suit and a really fancy car.

Merle looked down at his faded jeans and flannel shirt and winced.

He made himself walk to the door, holding the bunch of flowers he'd picked up on the way.

When she answered the doorbell, she looked excited to see him which made him feel good.

"I got these for you," he said, handing her the roses.  
"Oh, Merle! They're beautiful. Thank you," she said, leaning in to kiss him.

She invited him in, and he didn't want to mention the man at all. He knew he should just keep his mouth shut but that he wouldn't be able to.

She poured him a glass of sweet tea and began to talk about her day, and he blurted it out with no tact at all.

"Who was that man?"

He felt like an asshole for nosing around in her business like they were married or something.

She just smiled at him and reached her hand out to his.

"That's my colleague Matthew; he's married with three sons. He just dropped off a file for me," she said, pointing to a file folder on the counter.

He winced at his petty jealousy and squeezed her hand.

"I'm sorry, Andrea."

"It's OK."

"I just get this voice in my head sometimes telling me I'm not good enough, I know it's my dad's voice and I'm trying to shut it up, but it might take some time."

"I understand, Merle," she smiled.

Andrea stood up and walked the two steps closer to him.

"I hope you don't get too sick of me being insecure sometimes."

"Trust me when I tell you that I like you very much. Don't be sorry for feeling insecure, we all get like that."

She stood before him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his face into her chest and everything was right again. None of his flaws seemed to faze her at all.

"I'm gonna make you proud of me, honey," he insisted, closing his eyes. "I got a job today, and I went to an AA meeting. I'm gonna work really hard to get better."

"I'm already proud," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair.

_**####################** _

_**There are a series of time jumps after this chapter to wrap it all up. I wanted to finish the story with us knowing where things go for Merle and Andrea and Daryl and Carol in the future:)** _

_**Thanks for reading. This story has been a joy to write.** _

_**Teagan XOXO** _


	32. Creepy & Cool

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 32 – Creepy and Cool** _

_**~Halloween** _

Carol leaned on the counter and stretched her back out to ease the tension. She was at 30 weeks and very grateful to be still pregnant. The time had dragged on, but with Merle around, her days had been a breeze.

Merle went to work 3-5 nights a week at 11 pm, but only after helping clean up after supper. He read to Sophia most nights so Daryl and Carol could have alone time and she didn't know what she would have done without him.

Merle was with Andrea every chance he got and was sticking to his AA religiously; everyone was proud of his progress.

She finished the final hemming of Sophia's costume and helped her wrestle it over her head.

Sophia was dressing as a witch to go trick or treating with Merle and Andrea. They were going to be taking her back to Andrea's for the night, and Carol was giddy to have Daryl alone for a change.

"You look so scary," she grinned.

"I can even laugh like a witch," Sophia insisted and proceeded to cackle wickedly at the top of her lungs.

"That's terrifying, baby," Carol shivered.

Sophia ran off to grab her broomstick and Merle wandered up the stairs to see if she was ready.

"You coming, little one? There's candy out there with your name on it!" he hollered.

"You and Andrea are my favorite people right now," Carol smiled up at him.

"Hey, I haven't gone trick or treating since me and Daryl were little. When she passes out I can pinch all the candy I like," he joked.

"Hey!" Sophia protested.

"Just kidding, little one! I swear," he winked.

Carol hugged them both goodnight and Merle drove off with Sophia to pick up Andrea.

_**/** _

When Daryl arrived at home, Carol was pacing the kitchen floor feeling anxious to see him.

The house was spotless, she had music playing, and candles lit.

"Am I in the right house?" Daryl said, pulling her close.

"Yes," she smirked.

Carol didn't want to waste time eating; she just wanted him close.

"How was your day?" he asked, already kissing her neck and running his hand down to her hip.

"Good. I put the candy in a big bowl on the porch so that we won't be interrupted," she sighed, slipping her hand between their bodies to touch him through his pants.

Daryl had gotten over his fear of having sex over time, but he was still more gentle than usual.

"Good, cause I have plans for you. Did you want me to jump in the shower first? I'm kinda sweaty from work."

"No, I want you dirty," she hissed tearing at the button of his jeans.

She pushed his pants down to his knees, right there in the kitchen, and began to work his dick. Her desire was insatiable; lately, she felt like a horny teenager. She pulled him to the table where she sat down on a chair and took him into her mouth, slow and wet.

"Oh hell, honey," he groaned, sliding his hand down into her shirt to touch her breast.

She teased his head and took him in then traced the edge of his balls with her warm lips.

"Fuuuuuck!" he moaned.

He couldn't get enough of the new shape of her body. Daryl's mind was already on the next baby, but he didn't dare mention it yet.

"It's been a couple of weeks," he noted. "I ain't gonna make it if you keep this up."

She stood up, and he walked her back to the counter, kissing her furiously.

He tried to get as close as he could, and she giggled at his attempts to move against her.

"I think I need ya laying down," he laughed, pulling her to the bedroom.

"I have to thank Merle and Andrea for taking Sophia, I need you to myself so bad," she moaned, gently crawling onto the bed.

Daryl began to strip her slowly, kissing her everywhere he could. Carol's breasts were fuller and suddenly really sensitive, she wanted to be touched there even more than usual. Pregnancy was a new and exciting thing for Daryl, especially now that she was so far along.

The big round belly was tricky to work around, but he loved it all the same.

Daryl tossed her shirt and bra on the bedroom floor and kissed from her neck down to her belly. She closed her eyes and let the mood settle in naturally, reveling in the feeling of his warm tongue trailing along the waistband of her panties.

He yanked her maternity pants all the way off and teased her mercilessly through her underwear.

"Baby, please…" she murmured.

"You want it, Mrs. Dixon?" he growled.

"Yes," she panted. "Now give it to me."

She squirmed out of her panties, and he snuggled in behind her.

"I love your body like this," he smiled.

"It's awkward as hell," she laughed. "I can hardly get close to you now."

"We can make it work," he winked, pulling her leg up as he slid into her from behind.

He'd discovered that the spoon position worked good for them and it wasn't too deep for her.

Carol reached up to grab hold of the bed rail with her right hand and just let him have at it. He held her leg up behind the knee and moved into her slow but steady, and she sighed in a matching rhythm. Daryl had learned to make love to her differently; he had excellent control over himself.

Carol looked over her shoulder into his eyes with a devilish grin and slid her hand down to her core, which was a hell of a reach at 30 weeks.

She touched herself as he filled her and he groaned at the feel of it. She knew this was his kryptonite.

"Oh hell, honey…." he gasped.

Carol slid her fingers on either side of his dick and added a little more pressure and he was about to break. He pulled his arm around her and held her breast teasing his fingertips over her nipple, and she hissed in approval.

She moved back to her clit and spread her legs wider.

"Mmmm….don't you dare cum…I'm so close," she cried.

Daryl held onto his climax like a pro, but it hurt like hell.

She moved her fingers in rapid little circles around her clit and panted desperately.

"OK…" she announced as she came and whined loudly into the dark.

They came together in a fit of release that was long overdue. Daryl held her from behind and kissed the back of her neck repeatedly.

"Happy Halloween," he chuckled.

"Happy Halloween. Let's go grab some candy."

"Is the baby hungry?" he teased.

"Yeah…right! The baby," she laughed, feeling her belly.

To the left-hand side, she could feel what she was guessing were kicking feet, this often happened after sex.

"Lemme feel," Daryl said, putting his hand where hers was.

A smile crept across his face, and he chuckled.

"That's kinda creepy and cool all at once."

_**############** _

Merle and Andrea walked the streets just a few feet behind Sophia as she ran from house to house.

"I wish I had half of her energy," Andrea sighed.

"I have more energy than I used to, that's enough for me," he said, linking his fingers with hers as they walked.

The moon hung high in the sky, full and bright.

"Big moon tonight," she noted.

"You look pretty in the moonlight," Merle said, stopping her on the sidewalk to kiss her.

"Ew!" a group of kids whined and ran off in their costumes laughing.

"We scared 'em," he chuckled.

"I think so," she agreed.

Sophia burned up a lot of energy trick or treating, and they were back at Andrea's place by 9 pm. By then she'd already eaten enough candy to give herself a belly ache.

"I was supposed only to let her have a little, right?" Andrea giggled, handing her a tiny cup of Pepto Bismol.

"Nah! Aunties have different rules," Merle argued.

They tucked her into bed together after a Halloween themed story, and Merle couldn't help thinking it was like having their own child for a night.

Things with Andrea had gone so smoothly so far that he was almost waiting for the other shoe to drop. The only hit they'd taken was when she'd brought him to a work function a few weeks prior where one of her work friends made a snarky joke about him being just a courier driver.

"Didn't your fancy corporate boyfriend screw around on you last year?" Andrea shot back. "My man works his ass off, and at least he knows how to stick to one woman."

The offending woman had called her a bitch and Merle spit cranberry juice all over his hand in shock.

"Baby, you eviscerated that lady!" he gasped.

"Nobody fucks with my man," she winked, pulling him toward the door to leave early. "Let's get outta here."

Now here they were Halloween night with a bowl of candy between them and heaps of sexual tension as the horror movie they'd been watching came to an end.

Andrea lay back on the couch and unwrapped a lollipop, thinking that Sophia was definitely asleep by then.

Merle pulled her feet onto his lap and started to rub them with his strong hands.

"You know I'm a sucker for your foot rubs," she groaned.

"Maybe I'm lookin' for treats tonight too," he grinned and looked over at her licking the candy suggestively.

"Like this kind of treat?" she asked, teasing him with the sight of her lips on the cherry flavored sweetness.

"Oh yeah, just like that!"

Merle set the bowl on the coffee table and squirmed down between her legs.

He kissed her, and she tasted like sugar.

He took her hands and held them both over her head to plunder her mouth with his own.

She raised her hips to meet his and whined into his mouth.

He moved to her neck and thrust himself against her, making her moan for more.

"Take me to the bedroom…I'm paranoid that Sophia will wake up and come out here. I don't want her to see what I'm gonna do to you."

They kissed their way to the bedroom, and she locked the bedroom door without even tearing her mouth from his.

He lifted her up into his arms and pressed her to the wall then ran his hand up her shirt. She kissed him back with breathless whining and let her head fall back as he licked her neck.

"Put me down, baby."

So often she just couldn't wait and now was no different.

He set her on the ground, and they both stripped as if their clothes were on fire.

It was like a race, but he was finished first and ripped her panties off with such force that he tore them.

"Sorry," he uttered.

"Don't be, that's sexy as fuck," she hissed.

Merle lifted her up and pressed her to the wall again, sliding into her and fucking her hard as he could.

She linked her feet behind him and cried out as he bit her throat.

"Shhhh...Sophia's here remember?" he whispered.

Soon his thighs were burning so he turned to lay her out on the bed and stopped to take a nipple into his mouth.

Andrea reached down to grab his ass and begged him to let her ride.

He was happy to oblige, and she rolled onto him and teased his dick with her wetness.

"Bring it up here for a minute first," he moaned, wanting her on his mouth.

"You do not have to tell me twice," she giggled, creeping forward to settle herself over his face.

She held onto the headboard with both hands, and he grabbed her hips tight pulling her down.

With her calves on either side of his shoulders and sweet pressure pushing up into her, she was almost done.

Merle slid his tongue then, back and forth across her clit and she rolled herself over his lips, taking control.

"Jesus…Merle!" she whined.

He grabbed her ass cheeks hard and sucked softly as she melted into it.

Andrea threaded her fingers into his hair with both hands and held back a scream of sweet agony. The door was locked, but they still had to keep the noise to a reasonable level.

She rode him for a few minutes after that and looked down at him with fire in her eyes; she made him feel like some kind of sex god.

Soon he had her pinned to the bed on her belly and was sliding into her from behind. He smacked her ass and fucked steady, running his fingernails up the backs of her thighs. They were sexually compatible like he never knew possible.

She typically wanted it hard or rough just like he did but when she did want it slow and romantic he could always tell, and that's what she got.

He filled her only minutes later as the sound of her moaning and whining finally broke the levy.

The sounds she made when he gave it to her this way drove him absolutely insane with lust.

They flopped onto the mattress, and both stared up at the ceiling for a good few minutes, and Merle knew he couldn't wait any longer to tell her.

"I love you, Andrea," he blurted out indelicately for the very first time. "I love you more than I ever loved anyone."

_**#######################** _

_**Thanks for reading:) A few more chapters still...**_


	33. Busy Boy

_ **Estranged** _

_ **Chapter 33 - Busy Boy** _

**~ Thanksgiving Weekend**

Merle was still going to AA meetings and had completed his anger management course. He took the paperwork straight to the judge himself the week before Thanksgiving and spent two days just hanging out with Axel. It felt good to be able to go to Tennessee and have no negative feelings about it. It was actually a beautiful place that had more going on than he thought. When he got out of the crappy neighborhood and explored a little with Axel, it was not a bad place at all. He went on a haunted walking tour with Axel one evening, and he found it so funny. He never would have done such a thing in his old life, he didn't do much of anything in that life.

He was still living with Daryl, Carol, and Sophia and planned to stay until the baby came. Carol needed someone there for her during the day, Sophia was a handful at times. She would get down occasionally so he told stupid jokes to make her laugh whenever he could. He was half saving for his own place and half hoping he'd get to move in with Andrea but he didn't dare to say a word about it yet.

With Carol off her feet and Daryl working a lot of overtime he took over as a surrogate father to Sophia and he enjoyed it. He learned how to French braid her hair the way she liked it and packed her lunch for her every night. When Carol had been feeling sick, he even filled in for her parent/teacher conference at school. He liked pretending he was her dad here and there. When people mistook him as her father in public, he almost didn't want to correct them, but he did.

He knew damn well she already had a perfectly good dad and he didn't want to impose on that, he just loved being able to pay Daryl back. Merle was thinking more and more about children and hoped that Andrea might want to consider it if things kept going so well.

_**/** _

The day before Thanksgiving, Jacqui had her hands full with Ben who was getting over a bad cold. Everyone was feeling the stress of the impending holidays as well as the baby coming and there never seemed to be enough time for anything.

Carol was pacing slowly around the kitchen wondering who she could get to take her to her birthing class and was about ready to give up.

"Merle, can you do me yet another huge favor?"

"You got it," he grinned. He was her gopher lately, but he didn't mind at all. She was 33 weeks pregnant and waddling around pretty slowly.

"Just run this children's Tylenol over to Jacqui for Ben?"

"No problem."

He put his boots on and walked over to Jacqui's place, he and Jacqui had become good friends, and he and Andrea liked hanging out with her and her new boyfriend, Tyreese.

He knocked at the door, and she opened it, looking a little stressed.

"Hey, honey. Got some medicine for the little guy," he said, handing it over. "How's he doing?"

"He just conked out, but I'll need this later. Thanks, Merle. What's Carol up to?"

"I think she's just staying home tonight since you can't make it to class. Daryl is working late again."

"Why don't you take her?" she suggested.

"We have Sophia still, and she wouldn't want to go to that class," he laughed.

"Send her over here, Ben caught this cold from her anyway so I doubt she'll catch it again."

"You sure?"

"It's no problem. He'll be sleeping for a while yet, and Sophia can keep me company."

"Yeah, but I don't know anything about baby shit."

"It's easy, just sit there and do as they tell you."

"They don't show you gory movies, do they?" he asked.

"You missed that already, it's just breathing exercises and stuff."

"Alright, I'll check with Carol and bring Sophia over."

"Cool."

An hour later Merle was carrying Carol's purse into birthing class in the same church basement where he did AA meetings, it was surreal.

"Are you sure you're OK, Merle?"

He was looking around the room like he was about to get jumped.

"You can just come pick me up in an hour if you want to," she suggested.

"Nope, I got it. I can do this," he assured her.

Merle had promised to help, and he meant it. He still felt he had a couple years to work off in the brother department and he loved Carol; he wasn't going to leave her to do this alone.

Carol found a spot next to Tara and her partner Denise and started talking girly stuff with Tara.

"You're Daryl's brother, right?" Denise asked.

"That's me...what's this class like?" he whispered to her.

"You missed all the scary stuff," she laughed.

"Is this your first baby?" he asked.

"Second. Do you have kids?"

"No, but I'd like to. Maybe someday when my girlfriend is ready."

"It's the best," she smiled, rubbing Tara's shoulders as she spoke. "Lots of work...but the best."

He smiled and within 10 minutes Carol was leaning against him and doing funny breathing exercises. He felt weird as hell with his pregnant sister in law laying back between his legs, but this was all part of it.

The support partners were told to say encouraging things and cheer the expectant mothers on so Denise and Merle couldn't resist making up stupid cheers.

"2-4-6-8 Who do we appreciate? Epidurals!"

Tara eventually had to reprimand them, but they had a great time joking around.

He chatted with Denise, all class, and they giggled together every time the instructor used a naughty word. Life was filled with a wide range of experiences and people now, and Merle loved it. He was living someone else's life, it seemed, but he hoped nobody was living his old life. Nobody should be living his old life.

No two days were the same anymore, and he was almost always excited about something.

He hoisted Carol off the ground after the class and said goodbye to Tara and Denise before driving her home.

Daryl was just pulling up when they got back, and Merle felt bad for all the extra work he was doing. Merle paid rent and bought groceries, he had been since he got his first check, so he didn't understand why Daryl didn't slow down a little.

"You need a couple days off, Daryl," he suggested after supper.

"I know, but I need more savings in the bank. Kids always need things and Carol won't be going back to work for a few months after the baby comes."

"OK, brother. Do what you have to do, and I'll be right here to help out. Can I pay you more rent or something?"

"No, you already do so much, and I told you, you don't need to pay to stay here."

"Well, I'm gonna anyway so tough."

"You staying with Andrea tonight?"

"If you're OK without me. I'll just go grab Sophia from Jacqui's place," Merle said.

"Merle, take that container of chicken soup for Ben please," Carol asked as he was getting his boots on.

"Got it."

_**/** _

Merle felt like he'd put in an 18-hour workday by the time he got to Andrea's house, she was a sight for sore eyes.

"Hey, babe," she grinned as he walked in and handed her a bar of her favorite chocolate.

"Sweets for my sweet," he groaned.

"You OK? You sound wrecked."

"Just a lot of people needing me today," he laughed. "Nice to be needed, though."

"Come and lay down on my bed, I'll give you a nice rub down."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah, you've been a busy boy. I'll make you feel all better," she winked.

Merle walked into her bedroom and peeled off his shirt as she disappeared into the kitchen.

"Here," she said, laying out a towel on the bed.

"What's this about?" he asked.

"Trust me," she purred. "Just take off your pants and lay down on your belly ."

He obeyed her and went for his belt, thinking this was gonna be a good night after all. He tossed his pants and socks on the chair next to her bed, and she told him to keep stripping, so he did.

He crawled butt naked onto her bed and folded his arms under his head. He closed his eyes and just zoned out for a moment.

"That ass is pure sin," she raved, turning off the lights.

In only a minute she had a few candles lit and was slithering onto his back. From the feel of it, she had taken off her pants at least cause he could feel her warm calves on either side of his thighs. She straddled his ass, and he grinned as her warm, oily hands came down on his shoulders.

"Oh fuuuuuuck me," he moaned.

"Liked that?"

She worked her hands over his shoulders, down his back on either side of his spine and back up again.

She repeated the motion and really used her muscles till he was groaning her name.

"I didn't know you could do this?" he mumbled.

"Just thought you could use it tonight. You've been running around taking care of everyone, so I wanna take care of you."

"You're too much, honey."

"Turn over for me," she whispered into his ear from behind, and he realized her bare breasts were pressed against his back.

He rolled over, and she moved her attention down his

body to his dick where she ran her slick, oil lubed hands all over his business. She was in nothing but a pair of black panties, she looked sexy as hell.

"Are you for real? Damn! What did I do to deserve this?"

"I just wanna make my man feel good," she giggled.

"You make me feel good just sittin' there, but I gotta say...this is real nice!"

She worked her hands over his dick one after the other in a continuous motion, and he was writhing on the bed, squirming and panting for more.

"I need you, come here," he said, pulling her on top of him.

Andrea squirmed out of her panties and crept over him, kissed him and took him in.

He wrapped her in his arms, and she rode him slow, kissing him deep.

Merle took her breasts in his hands and then ran them down to her hips to pull her down harder.

He had a habit of blurting things out with her and now was no exception.

"Andrea, can I ask you something?'

"Yeah?...what?..."

She was way into it and close to cumming so he told her to forget it until they were done; she seemed to agree that was best.

Merle moved his fingers down between their bodies, and she rode him and rocked her clit gently against his wet knuckles.

"Mmmm...fuuuuuck!" she cried, coming down lower against his chest to kiss him as it drained her.

He rolled her onto her hands and knees and finished her off from behind, pulling her body back against his chest and holding her by the throat to kiss the back of her neck.

"Damn it, Merle. Yes! Fuck me harder!"

He did as he was told then let her bow down on the mattress. She liked to be pinned to the bed and dominated occasionally, so that's just what he did.

"Stay still," he urged, knowing just what she liked to hear by then.

"Yeah...nice and still, baby."

"Good girl, don't make me tell ya twice," he teased.

He lay his big, strong hand on her back and took her deep and hard till he exploded inside her.

Nothing felt as good as making love to Andrea, and he knew how much he had lucked out to find her.

She wiped the oil from their bodies with a towel and giggled that she'd have to clean the sheets in the morning.

"Totally worth it," he moaned.

She pulled the blanket up over him and wiggled closer to him to sleep.

He was breathing slow and drifting off when she suddenly remembered that he had been trying to say something during sex.

"What did you want to ask me, Merle? I'm sorry, I was kinda busy there."

"Oh...I was just at that baby class with Carol tonight, and it got me thinking a little."

"About?" she asked.

She had a feeling she knew right where this was going but played dumb.

"Do you think I could be a good father?"

"I know you would be, Merle. You'd be an excellent father, I've seen you with Sophia."

"I think you'd be a great mother if you ever wanted to be. I think you'd be so beautiful pregnant."

"Are you trying to suggest something here?" she asked, grinning against his chest.

"If I could ever have children of my own I'd only want them with you. I know you're busy with your career, and maybe you don't even want to have children, and I respect that but...I was just thinking I'd maybe like that, someday."

"When I am ready, it will be with you, Merle."

"Yeah?"

"I was never thinking about children before I met you and I'm not sure I'm ready to share you with a baby yet, but I'm thinking about it very seriously for the future."

Merle was more than satisfied with that. Carol had warned him that Andrea had always told her she wasn't the marriage and children type. The fact that she was even thinking of it made him very happy.

"Maybe you could move in here," she sighed, rolling over and pulling his arm around her. "After Daryl and Carol's baby comes, hey?"

"Yeah," he agreed, trying to suppress his excitement.

"I think I'd like to fall asleep just like this every night," Andrea yawned.

Within only a couple of minutes, he could tell she was asleep. She was always out like a light right after sex because she worked long hours.

Merle held her in his arms like a gift, burying his face in her blonde wavy hair and thinking back to the fireworks, the court case, and the first time they made love.

It's like someone up there made her just for him, and he was grateful to have her in his life with the prospect of more to come. Life was beautiful, and he drifted off as sweet dreams of what their child might look like flooded his hopeful mind.

_**######################** _

_**3 more chapters and Baby Dixon next chapter:) Thanks so much for reading.** _

_**Teagan XOXO** _


	34. Hot Panic

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 34** _ _**–** _ _**Hot Panic** _

_**~ December 23rd** _

Andrea packed up Daryl's truck for the last minute Christmas shopping and to pick up the crib Daryl had been saving for. She, Daryl and Sophia decided to finish it up together, Carol was too tired to travel and just wanted to stay home.

"It all better fit," Daryl winced. "I left it too long, but I've had this crib on layaway for months."

"It'll fit, relax," Andrea insisted.

Merle worked graves the night before and was still asleep so Andrea was also using the opportunity to pick up her gift for him. He was incredibly hard to shop for, but she'd finally settled on just the right thing.

"Come on you guys," she called from the back door.

Sophia walked out in her winter coat, mitts, and toque and Andrea grinned at how sweet she looked.

"Are you sure you're OK for the day?" Daryl double checked. "We're going into the city, but I can be home as soon as you call. It's only a little over an hour away."

"I have Merle here, I'll be all right," she insisted pushing him out the door. "Besides, we need somewhere for this baby to sleep."

"True. You take it easy, though, OK?" he urged.

"I will, I promise."

_**/** _

Merle rolled over in bed at about noon, looked at the bottle on the dresser and stretched long and slow.

He and Andrea were still going strong, but he loved that they didn't rush things. She said that what they had was so fine it should be savored and allowed to develop in it's own time like a good bottle of wine and he agreed. He felt they were ready to take the next step though and had a feeling she was there too.

He'd gotten to spent so much time with Daryl, just making up for all the lost years, that he was enjoying things as they were.

He jumped in the shower and remembered that Daryl, Sophia, and Andrea were in the city for the day.

Merle could smell gingerbread upstairs and knew Carol was baking again and he planned to give her shit about it. Every time he saw her lately she was nesting: cleaning, cooking, rearranging the nursery.

He made his way up the stairs, and sure enough, she was leaning on the counter cutting gingerbread into house shapes.

"Hey. I thought Daryl told you to take it easier."

"I'm just standing here; I'm OK."

"You know you can just buy a gingerbread house already made, right?"

"It's not the same. Sophia likes it homemade," she insisted.

"Lemme help at least."

She put him to work and an hour later everything was cooling on the counter top.

"You done now?" he asked.

Carol took a deep breath and winced a little.

"What? What's wrong?" Merle asked, looking concerned.

"Nothing."

"Didn't look like nothing. Go sit down."

"But I have to-"

"You don't have to do nothing, I'll clean up. Sit!"

He had to get firm with her cause she was being stubborn about always being on her feet.

"The doctor doesn't want you standing too much," he reminded her.

Carol sat down on the couch, and he poured her a cup of juice.

"Thanks, Merle."

"Yep."

Merle got busy on the dishes, but within 15 minutes Carol made a moaning sound and shifted on the couch.

"You need to go to the hospital or something?" he checked.

"I think it's just Braxton Hicks," she said.

"Huh?"

"Just practice contractions, I had this with Sophia."

"You're scaring the hell outta me just so you know," he laughed.

He finished the dishes and Daryl called to say they'd be back in two hours.

"Your wife is looking kinda funny and having practice contractions so don't doddle."

"She's not due for a couple weeks yet."

"If you say so, she's kinda freaking me out," he joked.

"We'll be back as soon as we can, no worries."

Carol got up to use the bathroom and was just washing her hands when she felt something like a balloon bursting inside her, and suddenly she was standing in a warm puddle.

"Merle!" she screeched in terror.

"What's wrong?" he called through the door.

She pulled the door open without taking a step, terrified she'd slip and fall.

Merle looked down at her wet pants and was baffled.

"My water broke."

"What do I do?" he asked.

Carol didn't know if they should drive or call an ambulance and she didn't have time to answer. She had a contraction that rendered her silent for a good minute and a half as Merle stood wondering what the hell was going on.

He kept trying to get her to answer, not realizing that she literally couldn't respond while she was going through the contraction.

Merle wrapped his arm around her back and led her to a kitchen chair, and she was already panting and looking scared.

"We have to go now, but I need to change. I'm all wet," she said.

"I gotta go warm up your car, I'll be right back to help you," he said.

"Hurry."

Merle ran out to the car to warm it up and ran back inside to get her ready.

"Where's your bag?" he asked, but she was contracting again.

"They're really close…call an ambulance…"

Merle dialed 911 and told them he needed an ambulance for a woman in labor as fast as possible.

Carol stood up and leaned on the kitchen table, scrunching her face up.

"How close are the contractions, Sir?" the operator asked.

"Carol, how close are they?"

"Less than five minutes!" she whined.

"Did you hear that?" Merle asked. "Tell them to hurry."

Merle told the operator some more information about how far along she was and a few other details.

"I feel like I need to push," Carol groaned.

"No, honey, don't do that!" Merle pleaded with Carol.

"She says she's gotta push. This is going too fast I need a doctor here now!" Merle begged the dispatcher.

"Help her take her pants off and get her laying down, Sir. If she's already getting the urge to push it might not be very long."

"What? I can't do that!"

"What is it, Merle? What do they say?" Carol asked.

"They say you gotta take off your pants and lay down."

Carol nodded and walked along the counter top, toward the bedroom.

"Fuck," Merle sighed, holding onto her as he walked with the phone tucked between his cheek and shoulder.

He told the operator she was laying down and asked again what was taking the ambulance so long.

"Is the baby crowning at all?" the dispatcher asked.

"How the hell should I know? What does that even mean?"

"Can you see the baby's head, Sir?"

"What? No! I ain't lookin' there; she's my sister in law!"

Merle was stood at the side of the bed and his hands were starting to shake. If anything happened to the baby he'd never forgive himself but he was scared to even touch her.

"Damn it! Where's the ambulance?"

"It's already en route, Sir, calm down. Grab some clean towels and just breathe."

"Don't you dare hang up!" he begged the stranger on the line.

"I won't, but put the phone on speaker cause you might need both hands."

"Merle! Help me, please!" Carol cried out, trying to get her pants off.

Merle put the phone on speaker and yanked her pants down her legs as she grabbed the bed rail and whined in pain.

Merle winced, he didn't know if he could deal with blood or a woman in pain. He couldn't help replaying the terrifying video she'd been watching when he first came to visit.

"Why is this happening so fast?"

"How do I know?" Carol growled.

"Can't you just hold it a second?" he pleaded.

"Merle, I'm going to kill you! No, I can't hold it!" Carol shouted.

"Sorry, but I don't know what to do!"

Carol grabbed her belly and moaned like she'd been impaled with something.

The woman on the phone was trying to give him directions, but he could barely make sense of the words.

"Sir, do you see the top of the baby's head. You need to pull it together! Your sister in law needs you."

"OK. Yeah…I think it's coming. What do I do?"

"If the baby is delivered you need to clear the airway and wrap it in the towel. The ambulance is almost there."

In only a split-second, Carol screamed and bared down hard. Merle nearly died as a tiny, blotchy, slimy infant appeared before his eyes.

"Jesus Christ Almighty!" he exclaimed.

He took a clean towel from the dresser and wrapped the baby up and cleared its mouth with his finger. The operator told him to rub its back to stimulate breathing so he turned the baby over against his forearm and rubbed its back then pinched its nose trying to clear the fluid.

"Why isn't it crying?" Carol asked, sitting up and watching Merle.

"It might take just a moment," the voice of the operator assured her.

Suddenly a blood-curdling scream came from the child, and they both sighed heavily with relief.

"Thank God!" Merle gasped.

The paramedics busted in the back door, and Merle happily handed the baby over, he didn't even know what sex it was yet.

_**/** _

Merle called Daryl as he held Carol's hand in the ambulance.

The paramedics were seeing to the baby and checking all of its vitals.

"Oh my God!" Daryl exclaimed. "Is she OK? Is the baby OK?"

"Here," Merle said, handing the phone to Carol.

He looked over at the EMTs checking the still screaming infant and he smiled. She was a little fighter, a bit small because she was early, but a fighter none the less. Sophia was going to be excited to have a sister.

Carol spoke to Daryl and tried to assure him that everything was going to be alright but he was losing it and he had to get Andrea to drive the rest of the way home.

_**/** _

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there," Daryl said, holding the baby and sitting next to the hospital bed.

"It's fine. As long as she's healthy, nothing else matters.

Andrea and Merle were buying Sophia toys in the gift store while Daryl spoke to Carol.

"Sophia is so happy it's a girl," he grinned, touching the baby's fingers.

"Have you thought of a name yet?" she asked.

"I saw the name Paige in one of your baby name books and Sophia said she liked it. What do you think?"

"It's a beautiful name. I wish you could have seen Merle pissing himself," she laughed.

Daryl held the baby against his shoulder and laughed along with her.

"I bet it was hilarious."

"He begged me not to push, I'm not even kidding you," she giggled.

"Poor guy. I woulda been pretty scared too though so I can't talk."

Andrea and Merle showed up at the door with Sophia and asked if she could come in.

"She's ready to meet her sister," Andrea smiled.

"Come on," Daryl said, sitting on the couch next to the window. "Hold your arms like I showed you, honey."

He handed her the baby, and she looked down at her with 100% love in her eyes.

"She's so beautiful, dad."

"Almost as pretty as you," he agreed.

Merle looked over the scene and was still in disbelief at how it all panned out. Andrea was holding him around the waist and leaning her head against his shoulder, as he was looking at his brother's newly expanded family.

Merle never would have dared to dream of something this good back in Tennessee when he had nothing but a shitty little room and the booze.

He knew he wanted this and he planned to wait patiently until Andrea was ready cause she was the only person he wanted it with.

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2 more chapter:) Thank you for reading. XO


	35. We Are Finally Home

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 35 – We Are Finally Home** _

_**~ Christmas Morning** _

Besides being a little underweight, Paige was healthy. She had no breathing problems and was nursing like a pro, so Carol and Daryl were allowed to bring her home for Christmas day.

On Christmas Eve it had snowed which made Sophia euphoric, and the snow was still falling on Christmas morning.

Andrea worked on French toast for breakfast while Daryl and Merle went outside to shovel the snow from the pathway.

"Baby Paige sure has a good set of lungs for as little as she is," Merle chuckled, rubbing his cold hands together.

"I still can't believe she's here for Christmas. Thanks for helping me get that damned crib together, never thought it could have so many pieces," Daryl groaned.

"No problem."

Merle kept shoveling but then stopped to scrape the windows on the vehicles.

"So Bob promoted you?"

Merle had gone to pick up his Christmas bonus the day before and was given the news that he was being promoted to foreman of the drivers already.

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either," he laughed.

"I can believe it, you've been busting your ass and haven't missed a single day yet."

"I really like my job, never thought I'd say that. I was able to throw down a nice chunk of change on Andrea's present, though."

"What did you get her anyway?" Daryl asked.

"You'll see."

They finished up the shoveling then heard the sound of Paige wailing through the windows.

"Duty calls," Daryl chuckled.

"You're a great father, Daryl," Merle said suddenly.

"All the most important things I ever learned about being a father I learned from you," Daryl answered.

"Yeah but-"

"But nothing; it doesn't matter that we spent all that time apart. All that matters is right now."

"Thanks, Daryl. Your forgiveness means a lot to me."

"You always had it, Merle. You're my brother…I love you."

Merle smiled as he took Daryl's shovel from him and nodded toward the house.

"You better tend to that little one."

Merle started walking to the garage to put the shovels away but added, "Love you too," over his shoulder just as Daryl was opening the door.

Daryl chuckled and walked in to help Carol with the baby.

_**/** _

They all had French toast together as a family and Sophia squirmed, impatiently waiting to open her presents.

"Alright, go ahead," Daryl relented when she finished her last bite of food.

Merle held the baby on the couch and watched Sophia tear into her gifts one after the other until she got to the fancy fishing pole and tackle box he and Andrea had bought her.

"Thanks, Uncle Merle and Auntie Andrea!"

They ended up being Auntie and Uncle even though they weren't married. Andrea had been Auntie even before Merle came around and Merle was blood.

Merle shifted his weight to get the gift he'd bought for Andrea out of the pocket of his jacket.

"Merry Christmas, honey," he said, handing it to her.

It was obviously jewelry from the look of the box but when she opened it she was still surprised.

Merle had found a necklace with a pendant in the shape of two hearts linked together and thought she'd like it, he was right.

"Merle…this is beautiful. It looks really expensive, though."

"It's only money, and it's more than worth it for you."

"Thank you," she smiled, leaning in to kiss him.

"I can't put it on for you," he laughed. "I got my hands full here."

"Well, give her to me for a second cause you have to open my gift to you."

Daryl and Carol chatted quietly on the other side of the room but watched the entire exchange intently.

Merle handed over the little bundle, and Andrea gave him a larger box than he had handed her.

He shook it playfully, but it made no sound.

"I know what it is!" Sophia chirped.

"You keep quiet, munchkin!" Andrea warned.

Merle untied the ribbon and opened the box to reveal a watch and a very nice watch at that.

"Oh…this is really nice, honey. You didn't have to do this," he insisted.

"Turn it over, it's engraved."

He turned it over slowly, he had a feeling that whatever she had engraved would get him choked up. All the little quotes and poems she left in places he'd find them always got to him, and she knew it.

_**~ For the two of us, home isn't a place it's a person, and we are finally home.** _

Merle had no words for something like this. He replayed the very first kiss where she had pulled back, and now she was really his, completely. He was home with her.

Andrea leaned in and kissed the side of his neck and reached into her pocket, as she moved the baby to her other arm.

"There's something else too, but it's more of a proposition."

She handed him his own keys, and he looked baffled until he realized she'd added a new key to the ring.

"Will you come home with me today?"

"You mean…to stay?" he asked, he had to be sure.

"To stay," she nodded. "I want you with me every night and every single day, babe."

He hugged her as much as he could with a baby between them until Daryl got the idea and scooped Paige out of the equation.

When they finally parted, Carol was blubbering on the couch into a handful of Kleenex.

"I'm still all hormonal! You guys are killin' me," she sobbed.

_**/** _

When they'd finished spending Christmas day and most of the evening together, Andrea decided she needed to get Merle home to have him to herself.

She walked down the stairs, to the room Merle called home since he first came back to visit Daryl, to collect his things.

He loaded up a couple of boxes and folded his clothes into the duffel bag he'd brought from Tennessee. Merle was excited to go home with her and to be invited into her life this way, part of him still couldn't believe it.

"You really surprised me there," he grinned.

"I've wanted to ask for a while. I figured you'd want to wait till the baby came but I wasn't sure when you'd be ready," she explained.

"I would have followed you like a lost puppy to the ends of the earth right from day one, honey," he laughed.

"I'll hold you to that," she smiled, picking up one of the boxes. "Is this everything you're taking?"

He threw the bag over his shoulder, picked up the other box and looked at the bottle on the dresser for a moment.

"Yeah…I got everything I need."

Merle followed her up the stairs to the front door where they said their goodbyes to their family, then he was onto the next chapter. A life of new beginnings with the woman he loved and endless possibilities for happiness was ahead of him and he couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Merle had gotten his brother back, his self-respect and his life; nothing would stop him now.

He tossed his bags in the back of her car and sat down next to her with his heart in his throat.

"You saved me, honey...I was drowning in this world, and you saved me."

Andrea reached over and touched his hand.

"No, Merle, you saved yourself. I just came along for the ride and cheered you on. You said you wouldn't let me down, and you never have. I love you."

"I love you too, honey."

"Let's go home," she smiled, putting the car in gear.

Nothing could have sounded sweeter to Merle; home really was a person, and for him, it was Andrea.


	36. In The End

_**Estranged** _

_**Chapter 36 - In the End** _

_**~ Epilogue** _

"This is gonna be a gong show," Merle laughed, loading up his new truck with fishing gear.

"I know," Daryl agreed, "but we promised."

"I didn't think I'd have Jack on my hands today, but Andrea is busy with that new case."

"It'll be fine, we'll figure it out."

Daryl set the bag of root beer and sunflower seeds on the floor of the backseat and called for the girls to hurry up.

Merle put the infant carseat in the back of the truck and made sure it was clicked into the base.

He juggled the diaper bag and tackle box as both Sophia and Paige jumped into the backseat next to Jack.

"Where did all these rugrats come from?" he teased.

"The cabbage patch, Uncle Merle!" Sophia grinned as she put on her sister's seatbelt for her.

"Smartass," he winked back at her.

Paige was 3 years old now and the spitting image of Daryl. Sophia was still the blonde sweetheart, but at nine years old she was less of a tomboy than she used to be.

Daryl got in the passenger seat and asked everyone if they had what they needed.

Jack began to cry, and Merle grabbed the pacifier out of his pocket and leaned over the seat to put it in his wailing mouth. He settled down instantly, and they were off.

Jack was a 3-month-old with strong opinions and already had Merle wrapped around his finger.

Andrea went back to work at two months, and Merle stayed working part time night shift so that she could do what she loved and he could take care of Jack.

Sope Creek looked different to Daryl now, nothing bittersweet about it at all.

They parked in the gravel lot near Andrea's camper and took the short hike to the yellow buckeye tree.

Sophia sat next to Merle and tried to show her sister how to bait the hook, but Paige was disgusted and ran off to chase butterflies instead. Paige was like Daryl, she didn't like to hurt anything, and Merle loved that about her.

"She's just like you, Daryl," he commented.

"I know, the poor thing," he laughed.

Merle leaned back against the trunk of the tree, held his son in both his hands and looked into his eyes. Jack looked like he was thinking about something deep or maybe just wondering who the hell he was.

He smiled and watched Daryl and Sophia fishing and kept an eye on Paige.

Merle wasn't the man he used to be. He hadn't had a single drink since the night Andrea told him he could give it up and he never missed it anymore.

He eventually got to the point where he thought less and less about his mistakes, he'd done enough right that his past was buried by good deeds.

One letter hitting a bar room floor, two brothers brave enough to reach out to each other, and one baby step in front of the other away from misery and toward happiness and he was redeemed. He had the woman of his dreams as his wife and a healthy child of his own, he had all he wanted in life.

Merle held his son to his chest, took a deep breath of fresh air and closed his eyes; finally, he had peace inside, and it was a beautiful thing. In the end, Merle could see that what mattered most would always be love.

~ The End

**#############################**

**A huge thank you to everyone who read this story:) It was a story I always wanted to tell about Merle and Daryl because I wished they had written more between them on the show. Both Norman and Michael are very talented actors and could have easily pulled off some really emotionally deep and beautiful scenes together:/**

**I'm taking a week to get my new story ready to post. It's called 'Ride It Out, ' and it's about Merle and Jacqui, as teenagers in 1989 (it's an odd pairing, I know, but I love them together in this, and I hope you'll like it too if you read it). Daryl and Carol are also a big part of this next story.**

**I have 4 other stories started right now which is unusual for me, so there's tons to come:)**

**Thanks again for all the support and kind words, it means the world to me.**

**Love, Teagan XOXO**

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I really appreciate the support. I love to write and I genuinely hope you enjoy this story:) Teagan XOXO


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